AN anti-poverty project in the heart of Greenock town centre has been praised in parliament for keeping a total of £7m worth of savings safe for local people. The Tail o the Bank Credit Union has been hailed by Inverclyde s MP at Westminster for fighting hardship and supporting people throughout the pandemic. Staff and volunteers pulled out all the stops to keep operating throughout the Covid-19 crisis. The Tele recently highlighted its success in supporting members by offering ethical ways to save and borrow cash. Now the credit union has been hailed in the House of Commons. MP Ronnie Cowan said: I asked the house to note the difficult and unprecedented year for Tail O The Bank Credit Union, who have stayed open offering a vital service to the community of Inverclyde.
Our second half of results will be revealed next week.
PEOPLE
K9 Alex â OUPD
For another year, K9 Alex reigns supreme in terms of area law enforcement officer popularity. To be fair, most categories in our âPeopleâ section that find an animal as a nominee also find an animal as the top finalist. In K9 Alexâs case, itâs really hard to compete with those soulful, brown eyes.
Also garnering honors were Jimmy Childs, of the Athens County Sheriffâs Office, and Athens County Sheriff Rodney Smith.
Local business owner/entrepreneur
Emily Christine â Tavolino
This yearâs top business owner or entrepreneur is Emily Christine, who owns and operates Tavolino. The restaurant is well known for its Italian cuisine, but many may also recognize it as a business that continually gave away free lunches â packed with fresh bread and hearty soup, no less â during the pandemic. Congrats, Emily!
Tail O The Bank Credit Union, Greenock. Beth Welsh, new chief executive, front, with Sandra Wilson, chairwoman. A GREENOCK credit union trusted with over £2m of local people s cash has promised to buck the trend and stay right in the heart of the town centre. Tail O the Bank Credit Union was originally set up in the east end of Greenock nearly 40 years ago, to take on loan sharks. It has flourished over the decades and offers alternatives to all high interest lenders, including pay day loan companies. With concerns growing about banks closing high street branches, the credit union has pledged to remain right on people s doorsteps.