Community Fund for credit union members works to boost NHS employee wellbeing

Tees, Esk and Wear, England, December 2025 - Serve and Protect Credit Union awards £2,478 grant to Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust to tackle staff financial stress and boost wellbeing

The grant was provided to create staff wellbeing areas across TEWV locations with the specific aim of supporting the mental health of NHS staff: a critical need as financial pressures intensify within the public service sector. As the Trust's Staff Health & Wellbeing Lead, Russell Smith, highlights:

“We are seeing lots of financial wellbeing issues, financial vulnerabilities, staff worried about paying their bills. It’s a huge issue and we are well aware of it. Financial stress can lead to staff being unproductive, worried about work, unhappy at work, feeling burnt out and stressed.”

Five new wellbeing spaces offer NHS staff a sanctuary at work. Each is equipped with resources such as calming music, mini fridges, and wellbeing boxes containing essential supplies, allowing time for staff to "relax and reset," and directly supporting the Trust’s mission of providing high-quality patient care.

The Community Fund initiative is funded by Friends of Serve and Protect, an association set up for the benefit of those served by Serve and Protect Credit Union. It runs a monthly member lottery draw that donates profits to projects making a positive impact on the credit union’s greater community.

Work with TEWV complements an existing payroll partnership that enables staff to contribute straight from their salaries to their Serve and Protect Union savings account - all in line with Serve and Protect’s mission to help emergency service workers build financial safety nets and increase their financial resilience.

About Friends of Serve and Protect
Friends of Serve and Protect is an incorporated association established for the benefit of individuals, organisations and communities served by Serve and Protect Credit Union. Funded by the Friends of Serve and Protect Lottery, Reg No – 4866, the Community Fund was established in 2024 to provide funding for projects and initiatives that support the greater community good of those who Serve and Protect. From wellbeing spaces to helping injured keyworkers through rehabilitation, the Community Fund helps make a difference to those who need it. Funding is open to Serve and Protect members and must be for the direct benefit of the Serve and Protect community. For more information, click here.

About TEWV: The Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust is an NHS trust that provides mental health, learning disability and eating disorders services. It serves a population of around two million people living in County Durham, Darlington and most of North Yorkshire. For more information, visit https://www.tewv.nhs.uk/.