NZCU Rotorua scores half century, not out

When Awhina Haira's father got a loan from the St Michael's Credit Union to send the 15-year-old on a school trip to Australia, she never dreamt she would be leading the organisation at its 50th anniversary.

But, as chairwoman of what is now the NZCU Rotorua, Haira was presented with a certificate recognising the anniversary at the national NZCU conference in Rotorua at the weekend.

"I remember, then, it was a one-man show in a small office - nothing like the big office in a prominent location we have now."

When she returned to work after bringing up her family, she became a member of the credit union herself and she joined its executive in 2009 after being approached, repeatedly, by then chairman Peter Barber.

 

"That's the type of people who are involved - ordinary people like me."

Haira said the credit union idea was a way for people on lower incomes to borrow money at lower interest rates than banks, while getting help with managing their money and benefiting from the success of the lender.

Those were also the goals of the group that set up the St Michael's Credit Union in May 1962.

Gordon Rogers was on that first committee and is still a member today.

"[At the start] we had one officer who took all the information and we would meet every Wednesday night to process that and see who we thought we could help out.

"The benefit was for people on low incomes who could not afford to go to banks for their loans. We helped as many as we could."

Encouraging savings was also an important part of the committee's work. The more members saved, the more money was available to put back into the credit union to help more of its members so Rogers said there were double benefits.

He said it was very satisfying looking back at the thousands of people helped by the credit union in the past 50 years and to see the organisation still doing so well.

Financial literacy and help with managing money are still an important part of the NZCU Rotorua today. General manager Philippa Wills said the array of services now available to members was huge compared to the simple save and lend model 50 years ago.

"There are now different types of shares, term deposits and services - things they would never have thought of."

But looking back through some of the early meeting minutes, she said committee members had been remarkably forward thinking.

And some things have not changed. The first expression of disappointment at the level of attendance at the Annual General Meeting appeared in October of the first year and the first loan arrears arose the following month.

Wills has been with the credit union for more than 20 years and told The Daily Post there were staff members who had been there even longer.

"There are not many places where you can feel so passionate and inspired. There is no conflict between profit and what you want to do because the shareholders are the members."

NZCU Rotorua is trying to identify members who have been with the credit union for 25 years or more. If this is you, contact Philippa Wills on (07) 349 7201.

THEN & NOW

St Michael's Credit Union started in 1962 with 25 members and funds of 29 pounds five shillings.

Today NZCU Rotorua has 4800 members and $14 million in funds.