Member Article

Darlington Building Society flagship branch re-opens

Darlington Building Society’s newly refurbished flagship Darlington town centre branch in Tubwell Row, has been officially opened by Darlington MP, Jenny Chapman.

The Society, the region’s only local building society, has made a substantial investment in upgrading the branch office into a modern customer focussed branch designed to meet the needs of customers in the 21st century.

The new layout offers members a number of choices in terms of service options from the traditional counter, comfortable one to one discussion areas and completely confidential interview rooms. In addition the new décor has been designed to appeal to both the older and younger person using a well thought out mix of modern and traditional styles.

Television screens provide factual information on the Society’s products and services as well as highlighting the important role Darlington Building Society plays in supporting its local communities throughout the region. For those customers wanting to be kept up to date with national and international events, rolling news will also be available.

To coincide with the formal opening, all of the Society’s branch staff will be wearing a new staff uniform chosen by themselves.

Prior to embarking upon this major branch refurbishment, the Tubwell Row branch hosted a “gallery” allowing members of the Darlington Society of Arts to display their work. This proved extremely popular and the need for such a facility is even more important now that the Darlington Arts Centre has closed. Consequently, the design team were tasked with constructing a dedicated art gallery as part of the new concept. The end result is stunning with the first display already attracting a lot of interest.

After unveiling a commemorative plaque Jenny Chapman said, “This magnificent refurbished branch enhances even further Darlington Building Society’s reputation for “looking after local interests.”

She added, “This new-look facility demonstrates the Society’s commitment to the town where it was formed over 150 years ago and also represents a significant investment in its own future and that of its customers and staff.”

David Dodd, Darlington Building Society Chief Executive said, “Customer feedback on our new look branch has been very positive and we look forward to welcoming customers old and new to this wonderful Darlington town centre facility.”

He added, “The recently issued KPMG Report on Building Societies predicted that building societies would fulfil a new role as regional banks of the future. We see this substantial investment in our flagship Tubwell Row branch as a significant step along that road.”

Darlington Building Society has just signed up to become a member of “Business in the Community” and Liz Needleman, Area Director England East, Business in the Community, welcomed the opening of the refurbished Darlington Tubwell Row branch and said, “I am delighted that Darlington Building Society is a Member of Business in the Community and has joined a large network of over 800 companies and organisations across the country committed to demonstrating responsible business practice.

“The Society clearly understands how acting as a responsible business benefits both the organisation and society more broadly and I am very much looking forward to working with them on this critical agenda.”

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