MEMBER NEWS


Bank announces record growth


Cambridge & Counties Bank has announced record annual growth in deposits, lending and customer acquisition for the year ended 31 December 2016.


During this period the niche


Freeths’ Andy Maxwell and Vickie Nijjar accept the award


Major accolade for Freeths


Freeths is celebrating after being ranked 50th in the list of Sunday Times UK Top 100 Companies to Work for – its highest ever position on the list. The results are mainly compiled


from surveys of staff satisfaction, with the firm scoring particularly highly in areas reflecting a family feel and pride in working there. Freeths now has 11 offices across


the UK and puts great emphasis on its core values, summarised by ‘doing the right thing’.


Freeths was entered into the


mid-sized companies category. Of the eight factors highlighted by the survey, the firm excelled in the ‘Wellbeing’ and ‘Giving Something Back’ categories. The firm places great importance on CSR initiatives, and also has a green group which has attracted a high level of interest from staff in various initiatives to reduce the impact of the business on the environment. The many wellbeing offerings to all staff include lunchtime yoga and


mindfulness sessions, a cycle to work scheme, free fruit deliveries and discounted massages. Colin Flanagan, Chairman of


Freeths, said: “This is a great accolade for us to receive. We work hard as a firm to ensure all employees are treated fairly and it is a testament to all staff members for us to have climbed up the rankings to 50th position. We have a great team ethos at Freeths with each individual contributing to the overall success of the firm.”


bank, which specialises in secured lending and deposit products for SMEs, saw its balance sheet grow from £518m to £746m, underpinned by strong growth across all aspects of its business. Its loan balances grew from £416m to £588m and its total deposits increased by 45% to £685m. The bank declared a profit


before tax of £18.1m, which represents a 77% increase on the £10.2m achieved for the previous year. Despite competition in all


of its markets increasing in 2016, the bank’s focus on its quality of service and its customer-centric underwriting meant its margins held up very well. The bank has maintained very strong credit quality, its return on investment for 2016 stood at 40.2%, and its total capital ratio now stands at 14%.


Collaboratively working towards better businesses


Nobody ever really achieved anything all by themselves, partnerships in business are critical to success. Whether it be someone standing at your side, offering support, or being there to catch you when you fall.


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Discover the Stopfords Difference for yourself: By calling Mansfield on: 01623 420269


or by email: theteam@stopfords.co.uk Website: www.stopfords.co.uk


At Marjolo, we work with you to make your business stronger. If you have a vision for your business, we can be the source of effective partnerships to help you achieve your ambitions. We believe in creating long term mutually beneficial relationships that guide you towards your own transformation and the future of your business.


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letstalk@marjolo.co.uk / www.marjolo.co.uk A new conversation in action


By calling Chesterfield on: 01246 385385


or by email: theteam@stopfordschesterfield.co.uk Website: www.stopfordschesterfield.co.uk


business network April 2017 7


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