Ever since we started out in 1969, we’ve always focused on putting WA locals and their financial futures, first. Today, we’re the largest locally-based customer-owned bank in the state and more than 130,000 customers trust us with their personal and business banking needs.
We may have changed and evolved, but at our core, we’re still striving to enrich the lives of our customers and their communities. So, how do we do that?
As a customer-owned bank, we reinvest our profits back into providing products and services for all our customers, as well as supporting the wider WA community. We do this through a range of programs, initiatives and activities every year, and 2024 was no different.
A look back at 2024
At the beginning of last year, we announced a new partnership with Vinnies WA. Our support allows Vinnies to assist even more people in financial crisis through their Financial Counselling Service. Our partnership also gives our own customers the opportunity to access a free and confidential financial coaching service. As a result, we’ve already seen more than 100 people benefit from sessions with a trained financial expert since the service launched.
Last year also saw us revamp our own community giving program. We introduced P&N Bank Empowerment Grants, two programs developed to assist both individuals in financial crisis and not-for-profits working in; disability and accessibility, mental health, poverty and homelessness, and domestic violence.
$60,000 was split between six worthy organisations (voted for by P&N customers) with On My Feet Perth and Homelessness We Care Perth – both working to solve homelessness – receiving $15,000 as a result of customer voting. More than 90 individuals and families across WA received financial assistance through our Empowering People grant stream last year. These people were all nominated by P&N customers, and we encourage you to submit a nomination if you know someone who could benefit from a helping hand – they don’t need to bank with us!
We also continued our support of Lifeline WA for another year. As we all know, 2024 was a tough year for many thanks to increased inflation and cost-of-living pressures, and as a result, Lifeline WA saw a huge increase in demand for its crisis support and suicide prevention services. Our funding was used to train an additional eight Telephone Crisis Supporters – and since their 12-month training has been completed, these eight superstars have responded to more than 2,000 calls for help.
It’s not just our community partners who were busy last year. P&N teams also got hands-on, thanks to the two days of paid volunteer leave that our employees have access to. Organisations that have been supported include Manna, Vinnies WA and Rottnest Island Authority, and several teams have made sandwiches for school breakfast clubs, sorted through and organised charity donations, and litter-picked local beaches. The P&N Group Lifeblood WA team has also saved 81 lives as a result of their whole blood and plasma donations to the Australian Red Cross.
Into 2025
So, as we begin 2025 and look to the year ahead, one thing is clear – there is certainly more of the above to come. We’ll continue to support organisations doing valuable, important work within the WA community, and enable our customers and team members to assist those people from their local communities who are doing it tough.
As you already do your business banking with us, you probably know that we’re not like bigger banks. By choosing to bank with us, you’re an important piece of the P&N puzzle – you’re not just another customer. You play an important part in making things better for the wider WA community, so thank you!