2025 has been a year of growth for The Sound Pound Group of Greater Manchester credit unions, of which we are a founding member. January kicked off with the Annual Bee Bus Ticket launch, our latest offering to our local community. The ticket gives our communities cheaper travel on Greater Manchester buses and is a proud symbol of our growing relationship with Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester.
Impacting our local community
Credit unions are pillars of financial well-being in our local community; therefore, we have been proud to become key delivery partners alongside Transport for Greater Manchester. Already, this partnership has been successful. Since the January launch, 242 tickets, across The Sound Pound Group, have been issued, saving local people at least £80,000 on their annual bus travel. This is the massive social impact we have as credit unions!
Recently, The SoundPound Group has taken another strong step forward with TfGM – now Greater Manchester credit unions can offer an Annual Tram and an Annual Bee Bus + Tram ticket to our members. Continuing to deliver cheaper travel to GM residents fills us with joy here at South Manchester Credit Union.
The launch of the tram tickets was marked with a meeting between the chiefs of SoundPound credit unions and Andy Burnham. The meeting took place in the iconic Lincoln Square in Manchester. The square received its name in dedication to US President Abraham Lincoln, who wrote to the working people of Manchester in solidarity, responding to Manchester’s support of the abolition of slavery. Now, in modern times, it is so powerful that credit unions, member-owned cooperatives who gather strength from these roots, meet to collaborate and deliver improvements to the life chances of our local community
During the meeting, Andy Burnham celebrated the sustained growth of GM credit unions, specifically the new annual travel tickets, saying, “This is exactly what the Bee Network is all about, making travel across Greater Manchester simpler, fairer, and more affordable for everyone. Our partnership with The SoundPound Group is helping thousands of people access the savings and flexibility they need to get around our city-region. It’s a great example of local organisations coming together to deliver real benefits to our communities.
“By giving more people the chance to spread the cost of annual travel and unlock bigger savings, we’re making it easier to leave the car at home and choose public transport with confidence. I’m proud to see our credit unions at the heart of that effort and encourage residents across Greater Manchester to have a look at what your local credit union can offer.”
Ciara Davies, Executive Director of The Sound Pound Group and Chief Executive Officer of Metro Moneywise Credit Union, said, “The SoundPound Group is delighted to be involved in this innovative partnership with Andy Burnham and TfGM, which opens up cheaper travel to people living and working in Greater Manchester. Paying for an annual travel ticket upfront means you benefit from some great savings, but we know that not everyone can afford to do that. Now you can spread the cost either weekly or monthly by purchasing an annual ticket, available across the whole Bee Network, through your local credit union.”
There is energy in Greater Manchester, and we are proud to be part of it. As a Sound Pound credit union, we will be working hard here in South Manchester to continue to make local money work harder for local people. If you are inspired to become a member of the credit union movement in your local community. Join here today.
