A COMMUNITY savings group leader has called on members to make the year 2000 a period of renewal, a fresh start and a new beginning.

Lou Gildea, president of the 1,000-member Nelson Community Credit Union, is urging supporters to pull together to enable the savings and loans organisation go to new strengths.

In his annual report, he says assets grew by 13.5 per cent over the past year and there were record share savings of £493,000, with members taking out low cost loans of more than £500,000.

He said: "We want to encourage all our members to grasp the opportunity to build the Credit Union, to use it and to invest in it for your family and the wider community."

Mr Gildea thanked members who supported the union week in, week out wand who were responsible for the union's success.

But, he added, many members hardly used their accounts.

"We ask them to rejuvenate their accounts and make the year 2000 one to remember. "Our strength is in our combined membership so we must all use the Credit Union in a way that benefits all members as well as ourselves and build our own credit worthiness by meticulous conduct in our Credit Union affairs."

Mr Gildea added: "We as every member to imitate the best with enthusiasm - walk through the year 2000 in their shoes - make sure than when the Credit Union becomes a very large organisation in the years to come, history will record that you were one of the builders."

Accounts for the year ending October 1999, shows the union has made loans totalling more than £4million since incorporation and the average savings per member grew to more than £550.

The union, East Lancashire's largest, has 182 junior members. The accounts show £18,500 available for dividend payments to members.

The union's 18th annual general meeting takes place on Tuesday February 22 at St John Southworth Social Centre, Vaughan Street, Nelson, at 8pm.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.