Today, The Cumberland is Cumbria’s largest financial institution with £2.6bn in mortgage lending and savings balances of £2.8bn. We’ve come a long way from the total assets of £2,929 which the Society held at the end of its first year in existence!
Having opened our first branch outside of Carlisle in Preston in 1973, we currently operate 32 branches across Cumbria, Lancashire, Northumberland and southwest Scotland.
Celebrating our 175th birthday in 2025, The Cumberland remains a purpose-led, financially strong, socially responsible building society, focussed on our people, planet and communities.
Our Foundations
In 2025, The Cumberland Building Society will be celebrating it's 175th birthday! We’re calling it Cumberland 175 and we’re very excited!
All the way back in 1850, our people focussed Building Society started life as The Cumberland Co-operative Land and Benefit Building Society. Through our existence we’ve experienced humanity reaching for the stars, the invention of television, internet, and mobile phones. We’ve been with you as you bought homes, celebrated marriage, and saved for future adventures. We’ve been here for you through the rainy days too.
At The Cumberland, we are proud to be different from some of the other building societies. Mortgages and savings remain a big part of what we do but we also provide current accounts for individuals and, uniquely, local businesses – including a comprehensive suite of online banking services. We offer commercial mortgages to a range of businesses, and we have a car finance subsidiary, Borderway Finance.
After 175 years we’re proud to say that The Cumberland remains a purpose-led, socially responsible and now award winning building society, focussed on our people, planet and communities.
Find out more about our history.
Our Values
At its heart, The Cumberland is here to create a banking experience that is kinder to people and planet. Our purpose is to deliver ‘kinder banking’ which for us includes a commitment to the high street, our ‘real people’ approach, and by upholding our commitments to people, planet and community.
We pledge to do this by ensuring that our business decisions are led by our five core values:
- Customer-led
- Straight forward
- Responsible
- Forward-thinking
- Better together
Inclusion has always played a part in Cumberland policy with ideals at the very beginning stating that future members would not be judged by their age, sex or political views.
Today we strive toward being a truly inclusive company, a goal which includes our colleagues as much as our members. In 2024 we have launched our ‘Belonging’ framework with the intention of every employee feeling that they are valued, and their voice is heard. We have adopted family friendly and flexible working practices, and a Neurodiversity Toolkit highlights neurodiverse conditions within the workforce.
Find out more about kinder banking and our commitments.
Our Branches
Though the trend of modern banking continues toward technology, we are determined not to lose sight of prioritising customer care and developing the links we have with our local communities.
Many of our branches have celebrated milestone birthdays over the past couple of years. Our English Street branch in Carlisle recently celebrated its 36th birthday by re-opening after a six-figure investment, having first opened its doors to the public on 26th September 1988.
The Cumberland’s first branch outside of Carlisle opened in Preston in 1973 and we currently operate branches across Cumbria, Lancashire, Northumberland and southwest Scotland.
We have maintained our branch network because we know that many customers value the face-to-face contact that only branches can provide. We are currently the last financial institution in multiple locations across our region.
Our branches continue to be supported by our local call centre where customers can speak to a real person rather than an automated menu – a further nuance of the technology driven world of today and a far cry from any issues that concerned the Society in the 1850s.
Our Communities
While celebrating our birthday, it provides us an opportunity to showcase the kindness in our communities and how we’re contributing through our Kinder Kind of Kitchen initiative, Charitable Foundation, and in many other ways. As a large local employer with connections throughout our operating area, we know that our leaves spread far and wide, and this allows us the chance to make an impact.
Our colleagues are already playing their part in local communities and can be found out and about using their annual community days throughout the region, helping at food banks, planting trees and in other situations where help is required. Over 150 colleagues have made use of their volunteering day in the past year.
As our leaves fall in the local communities, it reminds us of our commitment to the planet. We know that a sustainable future offers the best foundation for success and that this means caring for nature, beginning with our own corner of the UK.
As we look to tomorrow, we are committed to creating a kinder, sustainable future. A future where our actions echo our values… honouring our planet, empowering our communities, and our people.