Another record year for Unity Trust Bank as demand for impact-led business banking grows
Unity Trust Bank has reported another record year of responsible lending and deposits as it supports socially-minded organisations to create positive impact across the UK.
In its annual results, Unity’s overall lending grew by 12% to over £1.1bn (2024: 1bn) helping customers to improve local communities through access to frontline healthcare, quality housing, employment, support services and supporting green growth.
New lending more than doubled in 2025 to over £333m (2024: £137m) – an increase of 147%. A record £165m of new lending (53.7%) went to customers delivering services in areas of high deprivation.
Unity’s deposits rose by 8% to a record £1.9bn (2024: £1.8bn), as more organisations seek assurance that their savings will only be used for good.
Pre-tax profit remained strong and as planned at £52.4m (2024 £65.8m) allowing for lower interest rates. This resulted in an improved CET1 capital ratio of 24.3% (2024: 24.1%).
Colin Fyfe, CEO at Unity, said: “It’s been another incredible year of growth at Unity.
“Increasing our loan book by 12% has enabled even more people across the UK to access the frontline services they need.
“Unity has long had a ‘double bottom line’ commitment to deliver positive social impact as well as sustainable returns. I’m proud to say that we deliver this year after year.
“Our strategy is to double the size of the bank and our impact by 2030. I’m delighted that our performance and achievements to date show we’re on the right path to achieving this goal.”
In 2025, the outcomes of Unity’s lending included:
- creating or protecting 5,296 jobs
- safeguarding 1,625 care beds
- supporting 1,015 people at risk of homelessness
- supporting housing associations with over 1,700 social housing units
- providing 1,330 education spaces
Unity also achieved a number of milestones in 2025.
For the first time in its 41-year history, Unity was awarded an Investment Grade credit rating from Fitch Ratings. This landmark accreditation strengthens the bank’s position as a robust social impact bank.
Unity became one of a small number of banks globally to be independently verified by the Good Economy as meeting the Global Impact Investing Network’s ‘Operating Principles for Impact Management’ standards. This underscores the bank’s drive for positive change and is a benchmark for quality impact management.
Unity also became the first UK bank to invest in Local Climate Bonds, supporting local councils to deliver on their Net Zero objectives. It committed an initial £15m towards councils’ environmental projects with more to come in 2026.
Unity’s award-winning Retrofit Transition Initiative (RTI)) delivered £8.5m funding to six housing association customers in 2025, enabling them to decarbonise 736 homes and 21 communal spaces.
In October 2025, Unity went one step further and replaced RTI with a £100 million Green lending commitment to support all customers on their transition to Net Zero.
Unity’s values as a social impact bank are also embedded in its culture. In 2025 it received the prestigious ‘Outstanding’ Best Companies’ accreditation following a survey of its 300+ strong workforce.
A record £140,500 in grants and donations was distributed to good causes throughout the year from staff salary sacrifice and fundraising endeavours alongside the bank’s match-funding. This included £50,000 for the Unity Impact Grants programme and £35,000 support for the King’s Trust partnership.
Colin Fyfe added: “At the core of everything we do at Unity is our customers. They are to the fore of every decision we make.
“We continue to invest in our digital banking platform as well as our UK-based contact centre.
“The number of relationship managers who provide personal support to lending customers has increased, and we have also strengthened our specialist support for sectors such as trade unions, charities and local councils.
“Our ambition is to be the bank of choice for all socially-minded organisations in the UK and I’m delighted that more than 11,300 values-aligned customers choose our business banking services.”
Unity Trust Bank’s annual results, including its lending performance and social impact, are detailed in its Impact Report 2025