Unity Trust Bank reports record level of lending in UK’s most deprived areas
Unity Trust Bank, the award-winning UK social impact bank, has continued to deliver positive impact where it matters with its half-year results showing a record level of lending going into areas of high deprivation.
Unity committed over £140m in funding in the first six months of 2025 (HY 24: £62.8m), with 59% (HY 24: 40%) directed towards disadvantaged communities.
Additionally, 45% (HY 24: 26%) of Unity’s loans met the ABC of Enterprise Impact ‘C – Contribute to Solutions’ grade, meaning they actively addressed social or environmental challenges.
Unity’s lending also supported customer growth with 50% of loans helping organisations expand their operations.
Delivering positive impact has been achieved alongside Unity being awarded the key milestone of an Investment Grade Credit Rating of BBB- (stable) by global rating agency, Fitch Ratings.
Customer numbers have surpassed 10,900 and customer deposits grew by over £95m to £1,813.
Profitability remains strong despite the lower bank rate environment, with profit before tax standing at £28.6m (HY 24: £37.2m).
Unity became the first UK bank to invest in Local Climate Bonds, committing £15m to support local authorities to tackle climate change with £717k already allocated.
The bank was also awarded ‘Funding Team of the Year’ at the 2025 Unlock Net Zero Awards for its Retrofit Transition Initiative (RTI), £50m ringfenced funding for housing associations to decarbonise their stock.
Colin Fyfe, CEO at Unity Trust Bank, said: “As a social-impact bank we only use our customer deposits to lend to organisations that deliver positive social impact in local communities.
“This excellent half-year performance demonstrates how you can deliver positive social impact as well as strong financial returns.
“The independent Fitch Investment Grade Credit rating assessment reflects the strength of our financial position, our disciplined approach to risk management, and confidence in our strategic direction.
“It demonstrates that organisations can be independently assured of Unity’s strength, whilst knowing their funding delivers social good.
“Our key focus is serving the socially-minded organisations that choose to bank with us.
“We have continued to invest in improvements in customer experience and operating efficiency, such as improving our bank account opening process, and we’ve expanded our human service offering through our UK-based contact centre and national relationship manager network.”