As a member of Hertsavers Credit Union, you have the chance to enter the lottery, run by our back-office provider, Credit Union Solutions (CUS).

Each entry is £1, and each member can have up to 10 chances per month.

The lottery draw will take place on the last Friday of each month. The winners will be announced on the CUS Lottery page at the end of each month. Our first prize draw will take place at the end of February.

Please note that if there are insufficient funds in your account then your numbers will be ineligible for the draw.

Lottery funds which are not given out in prizes will be used for the promotion and development of the credit union and for the benefit of its members.

To enter and full details of the prize draw, complete the lottery application form on this page.

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FAQs:

1. How can I enter the Lottery? 
You can submit a lottery application via CUS’s website here.

2. Who is organising the Lottery?

It’s been organised by Credit Union Solutions.

3. How many times can I enter the Prize Draw?

There is a limit of 10 entries per month purchased by any one member.

4. How much does it cost to enter the Prize Draw?

Each Prize Draw entry will be £1.00.

5. How will I know that I have won?

Winning numbers will be displayed on the CUS website www.cus.coop

6. Do I need to enter the Lottery each month?

Once a Prize Draw application has been received from a member, that member will be included in all subsequent draws until that member cancels their application in writing or by email.

This is a press release from the Stop Loan Sharks team published on 12 May 2022

Two people have been arrested on suspicion of illegal money lending and money laundering offences following an operation in Hemel Hempstead this week.

Officers from the England Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT) and Hertfordshire Constabulary executed a search warrant at an address in the town on Tuesday, May 10.

Documentation and electronic devices were recovered during a search of the property.

A 35-year-old woman and 40-year-old man were taken into custody for questioning. They have since been released under investigation pending further enquiries.

The IMLT works in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council Trading Standards and Hertfordshire Constabulary to investigate and prosecute loan sharks.

Tony Quigley, Head of the Illegal Money Lending Team said: “We are determined to warn residents about the dangers of loan sharks, and we will work with partners to take action against them.

“Loan sharks are criminals that prey on the most vulnerable people in our communities. They trap their victims into spiralling debt and will often use intimidation and violence.

“We will not tolerate these activities in Hertfordshire and would urge anyone with information about loan sharks to report them as soon as possible.”

Mike MacGregor, Community Protection Manager at Hertfordshire County Council Trading Standards, said: “We know that increases in the cost of living are putting pressure on household finances, but we would actively encourage residents to use reputable sources of finance to avoid becoming prey to loan sharks. There are a number of credit unions in Hertfordshire that offer access to low cost and reputable loans, for example the Dacorum First Credit Union based in Hemel Hempstead.”

A recent report published by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), Swimming with Sharks, estimated 1.08 million people may currently owe money to loan sharks, with some lenders demanding sexual favours as repayment from borrowers.

Warning signs to indicate that you could be dealing with a loan shark include giving no paperwork upon the agreement of a loan, refusing to give detailed information about a loan, intimidation and threats, taking items such as a bank card or passport until the debt is paid, and taking things from you if you do not pay on time.

Local residents, charities, community and voluntary groups, schools and statutory agencies can apply for grants of up to £5,000 for activities that highlight the dangers of loan sharks.

The Stop Loan Sharks Community Fund is made available from money seized from convicted loan sharks under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA). Organisations will need to demonstrate the positive impact their project would have on their community and how it will help tackle loan sharks.

Find out more about the grants and apply at www.stoploansharks.co.uk/poca-funding/

The closing date for applications is Thursday, 30 June 2022.

Anyone with concerns about illegal money lending can contact the Stop Loan Sharks 24/7 Helpline in confidence on 0300 555 2222 or access support online at www.stoploansharks.co.uk. Live Chat is available on the website between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

– ENDS –

For media enquiries, please contact IMLT Press Officer Holly-Leigh Carr on 07703 373535 or email Holly.Carr@birmingham.gov.uk.

Notes to editors:

The Illegal Money Lending Teams in England, Scotland and Wales work alongside the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to investigate those operating within the consumer credit market without the appropriate authorisation.

The Illegal Money Lending Teams in England and Wales work in partnership with local Trading Standards Authorities in their related countries. They consist of specialist officers who investigate and prosecute illegal money lending and related activity and LIAISE officers who support victims and raise awareness of the dangers of borrowing from illegal money lenders.

As we rely on the support of the local community to strengthen the credit union, we are on the mission to grow our credit union. Therefore, we have the following referral schemes in place. The only criteria is that your referee needs to be working or living in Hertfordshire.

Child Benefit referral scheme:

Members that refer a new member to Hertsavers for a Child Benefit Loan can now claim a £50 referral bonus for themselves and the new member, who will also receive a £50 bonus. You can find out more here.

Workplace champions

If you already have a payroll savings scheme set up at your workplace, you can become a workplace champion. If your referee takes an introductory loan of up to £2000, which is payable over three years, the Champion and their referral will both receive an additional £100 to their account. Find out more.

Why should your referee join the Hertsavers Credit Union?

1. We are a not-for-profit so your money is safe.
2. We have low interest rates therefore when you borrow a loan, you are also saving money.
3. All savings up to £85,000 per member are guaranteed by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

With our new web app (Lace), you’ll be able to do the following on your mobile device:

• Get your member account balances and details in real-time, 24/7
• Apply online for a new loan
• Check your loan, including the last payment date
• Request statements
• Make a share withdrawal
• Update your personal details.

Our web app runs on IOS (Apple), Android and Windows mobile devices. Here is how to register and bookmark the web app on your mobile device.

Registering to use the web app

1. From your smartphone or tablet, simply tap “New app” on our website. (Clicking the same option on a PC – a desktop or laptop – will take you to our members’ area, which is better suited to larger screens).
2. The first time you visit the web app, you will need to tap “Register”, which you’ll find at the bottom of the welcome screen.
3. Complete the single-screen registration form and tap “Register” again.

Once your registration request has been approved (during our office hours), you’re all set up to use the new web app.

Making it easy to use

1. Register to use.
2. Bookmark our app to create an easy-to-use icon on your mobile device’s home screen (see the “How to” section below).
3. When your registration has been approved, the first time you log on, you’ll need to enter your member number together with additional security information.
4. If you select “Remember me” then, on subsequent logins you will only need to enter characters from the passcode you created at registration.

How to bookmark on IOS (Apple devices)

1. On your device, tap this link – it will take you to our web app.
2. At the bottom of the screen (for iPad, top left) tap the “share” icon
3. Find and select the option, “Add to Home Screen”.
4. When prompted, name the icon “Hertsavers CU”.
5. In the future, to access our web app, find and tap the icon “Hertsavers CU” on your phone or iPad’s home screen.

How to bookmark on Android devices

1. On your device, tap this link  – it will take you to our web app.
2. Press the menu button on your phone and click on “Add bookmark.”
3. When prompted, name the icon “Hertsavers CU” and save the bookmark in the Home folder.
4. Tap and hold on the bookmark icon on the top right.
5. Scroll down the list of bookmarks – press and hold “Hertsavers CU”.
6. Select the option to “Add shortcut to home.”
7. In the future, to access our web app, find and tap the icon “Hertsavers CU” on your phone’s home screen.

If you have any issues, please contact us.

We are excited to announce that our new web app, Lace, is now live.

Lace will help members stay up-to-date with their account information and transfer funds on the go.

Members will be able to do the following:

• Get their member account balances and details in real-time, 24/7
• Apply online for a new loan
• Check their loan, including the last payment date
• Request statements
• Make a share withdrawal
• Update their personal details.

The app will be available on all mobile devices as well as desktops.

To learn how to register to use the web app and bookmarking the app on a mobile device, get the details here.

Why can’t this web app be found in the App or Play Store?

Our new web app is an example of a new generation of apps that is different from native apps, which are traditionally found on Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play Store.

We decided to provide a secure web app, which runs in your device’s browser. Simply bookmark it to add its icon to your smartphone desktop.

With this new web app, you will always be running the most up-to-date software so there won’t be any faff of updating or downloading the latest version.

Our offices will be closed from midday on Thursday 24 December 2020 and will reopen on Monday 04 January 2020. Any share withdrawals and card transfers that are made during this period will be completed on our return to work.

To guarantee a loan to be in time for Christmas, the application and any supporting documents will need to be in by Wednesday 16 December 2020.

Share withdrawals to be guaranteed before Christmas needs to be in by 23 December since 24 December will be the last payment day until we reopen in January.

To make a share withdrawal, all members must now use the Members’ Area.