Common Interest Groups or Credit Unions have been part of community life since the nineteenth century when a group of European farmers formed a cooperative. Since then, the concept of groups of people with a common bond, collectively benefiting from the management of their financial resources, has spread to many parts of the world.

Branches can be formed by any legitimate group that has a common interest; for example, by residents of an housing estate, members of a church congregation or club, employees of individual firms, locals of a pub or those from a socially disadvantaged sector of the community. Indeed the list is virtually endless.

The Company covers the administrative costs involved, whilst any branch profits are paid to its members.