About Us

Our Story

To BUILD and NURTURE enduring relationships with our community and Members; to OFFER competitive financial products and services to our Members that make a meaningful contribution to their economic and social wellbeing.

Our Vision

To LEAD by example; to BUILD strong member relationships that will enhance members' financial, economic and social wellbeing; to PLACE its members and community first by operating in an open, transparent and inclusive manner.

Our Mission

To BUILD and NURTURE enduring relationships with our community and Members; to OFFER competitive financial products and services to our Members that make a meaningful contribution to their economic and social wellbeing.

Kilcock Credit Union - History

Our Story

In 1971 with the assistance of Kilcloon Parish Church, a study group was set up under the guidance of Michael McGuinness and Kathleen Matthews of the then Navan Road Credit Union with a view to establishing a a credit union in Kilcloon, which resulted in Kilcloon Parish & District Credit Union Limited (“Kilcloon Credit Union”) being formally registered with the Central Bank of Ireland on 17th February 1972. The common bond was made up of a significant part of the Parish of Kilcloon, extending into Kildare to cover the town of Kilcock, the Spin and Courtown Bridges and as far as the Maws on the Maynooth Road, with 'collection points' in Kilcloon, Kilcock and Batterstown.

By 1982  there were over 1,000 members and in 1983, a building in Kilcock was purchased and renovated and in 1985 the Kilcloon Credit Union moved to its first new office, situated beside the Meath Bridge and close to The Square. Shortly afterwards, the first employee was hired to manage the office and the accounts, opening hours were increased and our common bond was extended to cover the entire Parish of Kilcloon and the townlands of Ferns and Garadice. Further growth was experienced and by January 1990 there were over 1,500 members. In 1990, a sub-office was opened in Kilcloon and a part-time staff member was employed to maintain the service and assist the volunteers who were running the Credit Union at that time. In 1992, Batterstown Hall was purchased and converted to another sub-office. Kilcloon Credit Union now had 3 branch locations.

The continuing growth in transactions and membership meant that manual bookkeeping was becoming more difficult to manage, so in 1993 computer systems were installed to help with the management of the Credit Union’s operational activities. In 1996, a decision was made to seek a larger property and eventually the office we now occupy today in The Square, Kilcock became available. Following significant renovation works Kilcloon Credit Union moved to its new ‘head office’ in 1998 and continues to operate from these premises. In 2022 Kilcloon Credit Union celebrated its 50th year of operation, a very significant achievement.

Due to the manner in which modern financial services are now being delivered and the growth in the ‘digital’ interaction that consumers have with and expect from their financial services providers, it was decided to close both the Batterstown and Kilcloon offices in 2019 and 2020 respectively, as the footfall and usage of services presented challenges in terms of the costs of running both locations. However, their closures have not affected the growth of the Credit Union, with membership now exceeding 11,000.

In 2024, a decision was taken to rebrand the Credit Union from Kilcloon Parish & District Credit Union Limited (Kilcloon Credit Union) to Kilcock-Kilcloon & District Credit Union Limited (“Kilcock Credit Union”). It was felt that this was necessary in order to recognise the significant changes and growth that have occurred in our community over the past 50 years. The change of name to Kilcock Credit Union is aimed at making our credit union more relevant to and representative of the diversity and demographic concentration of our modern common bond, deepening the connection with our community and Members and better positioning the Credit Union for future growth. While the name may have changed, we will not forget our links to the past and the significant steps taken in 1972 when the Credit Union was formed.

The Credit Union has now evolved into a professionally run financial services provider, delivering valuable savings, loans, payments and insurance services to the members within its community. Our commitment to providing Members with a service that is both professional and personal remains the same, as we continue to look to broaden our services and aim to become the leading provider of financial services in our common bond. We look forward to the future of Kilcock Credit Union.

Challenges

Credit Unions throughout Ireland continue to face increasing regulatory and business challenges in an environment that has radically changed since the onset of the country’s financial crisis in 2008. However, our Members can rest assured that the Board and Staff of Kilcock Credit Union are committed to ensuring that the highest standards are maintained in running the business, in meeting whatever regulatory requirements are required and in our efforts to grow the business on behalf of Members.

We will be only too pleased to talk to any of our Members who’d like to know more about how we run the business on your behalf. The Board and Staff of Kilcock Credit Union are excited about the future and believe we are well-positioned to continue growing the business.

Strategic Objectives

The Board of Directors is responsible for setting out the Strategic Plan for Kilcock Credit Union.

This Plan is informed through, among other things, consultation with management and staff, who provide valuable insight into and feedback about our members’ financial needs and opinions, the broader economic environment, the competitive financial services marketplace, economic surveys and research, and the regulatory environment in which we operate. The Plan also reflects the trends that are observed in the wider credit union movement. While the Plan is prepared by the Board, its execution is the responsibility of the CEO, management and staff. The Plan is prepared on a 3-year cycle basis and is regularly reviewed by the Board, with input from the CEO, management and staff, and our external and internal auditors. The Board is also required to present the Plan to our regulator, the Central Bank of Ireland.

There are 8 broad objectives in our Strategic Plan as follows:

  • Lending - growing lending in a manner that will grow income generation;
  • Membership - increase membership by raising awareness levels among non-members and developing in line with population expansion within our common bond;
  • Marketing - develop our marketing effectiveness by using a range of channels that target key products and demographic groups;
  • Strategic Partnerships - further develop existing alliances with other local credit unions that focus on the sharing of services and costs;
  • Credit Control - continue to reduce legacy debt and the strong focus on credit collections;
  • Operational Management - ensure appropriate resources and controls are deployed that will safeguard our Members' interests and continue to strengthen financial viability;
  • Technology - utilise our data management processes and systems to drive our business and action plans;
  • Competency/Knowledge - ensure all Officers of the credit union are suitably trained and qualified to deliver Member services and remain compliant with Regulation.