In 2024 the last remaining bank in Windermere & Bowness closed. In October 2025 the final banking service offered by Barclays at Windermere Library is also closing. The Town Council were approached by a concerned older resident about the possibility of getting a Banking Hub for Windermere. This is a shared banking space where limited services are offered by a range of different banks on different days.
The process involves an application to the Link Scheme which the Town Council did.
Unfortunately, Link is only interested in maintaining access to cash. Since there is a Post Office, Cumberland Building Society and several cash points in the vicinity they decided Windermere did not qualify. We tried to appeal based on the difficult journey to an actual bank branch in Kendal for people with limited mobility. Again, we were turned down. Sadly, this has now exhausted the appeals process.
If problems accessing banking services are impacting you then writing to your bank or local MP would at least flag up the problem which no existing schemes currently seem to address.
The process involves an application to the Link Scheme which the Town Council did.
Unfortunately, Link is only interested in maintaining access to cash. Since there is a Post Office, Cumberland Building Society and several cash points in the vicinity they decided Windermere did not qualify. We tried to appeal based on the difficult journey to an actual bank branch in Kendal for people with limited mobility. Again, we were turned down. Sadly, this has now exhausted the appeals process.
If problems accessing banking services are impacting you then writing to your bank or local MP would at least flag up the problem which no existing schemes currently seem to address.
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