Hunstanton Nationwide bank celebrating 40th anniversary as North West Norfolk MP James Wild highlights importance of branches in rural areas

With it being more of a common occurrence that banks are closing down, one town branch is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

The Nationwide Building Society in Hunstanton has been open for four decades and welcomed North West Norfolk MP James Wild to discuss local financial issues.

Mr Wild met with branch manager Gary Hubbard and customer representatives Lisa Reed, Chrissy Gotts and Kieran Raines to explore the bank’s role in the community and the challenges residents face.

They discussed Nationwide’s commitment to keeping branches open until at least 2028. This is something Mr Wild has been pushing for to help ensure local people can continue to access banking services close to home.

The conversation also covered Nationwide’s community work, including support for local charities and its national Fairer Futures programme.

The Hunstanton branch acts as a collection point for the local food bank, with donations gathered in the branch and collected by St Edmund Church for distribution to families in need.

He also heard about Nationwide’s wider work to support people living with dementia, through its Fairer Futures partnership with Dementia UK.

As part of this, Nationwide is funding an additional 30 Admiral Nurses – specialist dementia care professionals – and is running dementia clinics in 200 branches across the country, offering practical advice and emotional support to families.

During his visit, James saw a steady flow of customers, highlighting the continued importance of physical banking in rural areas.

Mr Wild said: “Nationwide has been providing local banking services in Hunstanton for over forty years.

“Access to personal service on the high street is important to many people, and there was steady footfall of customers during my visit. I welcome Nationwide’s commitment to existing branches and long may it continue.”