Mutual Issue 1 Part 1 by harpendenbuildingsociety

Issue 1: January 2024

PART 1

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Page 8

Our community support

Page 16

Our volunteering in 2023

Page 22

Harpenden Online FAQs

Page 35

Our Mutual survey

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Contents: 4

A welcome from Richard Doe

Our 70th anniversary celebrations

Community support in 2023

Contact the editorial team: members@harpendenbs.co.uk

Colleagues support in 2023

Published by Harpenden Building Society.

Our Volunteering

Harpenden Online FAQs

Harpenden Online tips and advice

Smart Money People

We’d love to hear your stories...

Complete our Mutual survey

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Harpenden Building Society is a member of the Building Societies Association. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. Firm reference number: 157260. Head Office: Harpenden Building Society, Mardall House, 9-11 Vaughan Road, Harpenden AL5 4HU Harpenden Building Society reserves the right to reject or accept any advertisement, article or material received, prior to publication. We reserve the right to publish and edit any article or material we receive from our members. We accept no liability for any mistakes and no liability for any third-party website and their content. harpendenbs.co.uk

Last year marked our Platinum Jubilee, as we celebrated 70 years of helping people to buy their own homes and save for their future. I’m proud to say that we also continue supporting local charities, events and organisations as well, and I know this issue includes some great stories from some of those we have supported in recent months.

Welcome to part one of the first issue of Mutual magazine. It is an absolute pleasure to bring you this edition, as we begin this journey of delivering you Mutual on a regular basis.

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We are proud to be an independent

Mutual Building Society. The moment you successfully open a personal savings account with us, or take out a mortgage, you become a member. That is why we have decided to launch this magazine, for the benefit of our members. We began back in 1953, on March 3rd - in a year that celebrated the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the launch of the Royal Yacht Britannia and the first published James Bond novel Casino Royale. Our foundations were created when a group of local business people came together, united a community and established the Harpenden Building Society. This pioneering group overcame adversity and believed the community deserved support to be able to buy local homes and to save for their future.

We’ve come a long way since our inception, and we aim to maintain our traditional values as we look to the future and develop. A major part of our development is delivering this magazine to you. I know the editorial team really want to hear your stories and achievements, so we welcome any you can send us for future editions. Part 1 contains some information regarding our community support and where we completed some volunteering activity last year. In part 2, we’ve included some very topical upcoming awareness days and months which we believe are of interest to our readers. Financial services can often sound intimidating or confusing and we aim to deal with our members in a personable manner and explain the best possible options for your individual circumstances. We have included some helpful Harpenden Online FAQs alongside some advice on a very topical subject for protection against scams. We want to always deliver helpful advice and always be topical, so if there is any subject

regarding protection online or against fraud or scams, that you feel you want to know more about then let the editorial team know. For each remaining issue this year, one of my colleagues will deliver the welcome message, so you’ll get to know a bit more about my team and colleagues as we progress and you may hear again from me towards the end of 2024 to round up what has occurred during these 12 months. Enjoy reading, keep your eyes peeled for part 2 of Issue 1 which will follow very soon, and don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team if there are subjects that you would like addressed and send us over your stories or achievements so we can include them in a future issue. Thank you.

Richard Doe Chief Executive

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A FEW LOVELY AWARDS…

Our 70th anniversary

Last year, we had even more to celebrate with awards and accreditations.

For the first time, we participated in the Best Companies employee engagement survey and were thrilled to achieve a ‘Very Good to Work For’ accreditation.

A year of celebrations

2023 was a special year as we marked our Platinum Jubilee, celebrating 70 years of helping people to buy their own homes and save for their future. As Richard Doe mentioned in his welcome message, 1953 was the year when our Society began its journey. It was March 3rd – during the era of the baby boomers - that our foundations were created when a group of local business people came together, united a community and established the Harpenden Building Society. This pioneering group overcame adversity and believed the community deserved support to be able to buy local homes and to save for their future. Our Society was built upon the vision of helping customers achieve their ambitions, to serve our members and strive to help them secure their financial future so that their dreams and aspirations were made possible. We’ve come a long way since our inception in 1953 and we continue to maintain our traditional values as we look to the future and to the next 70 years… whatever they may bring.

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To help celebrate our 70th anniversary, we held a Head Office party where all colleagues came together over pizza and cake to help mark this momentous occasion. In addition, the Society held a quiz night for all our colleagues to join. Over 40 attended for a fun evening of quizzing with food, lots of chocolate, sweets, and drinks on offer. Team names were either building society or number 70 inspired. ‘Mutually Magnificent’ were crowned the winning team on the night. Furthermore, we also committed to achieving over 70 hours of colleague volunteering throughout the year. We exceeded this target ending the year with over 300 hours spent supporting some fantastic causes.

Moreover, in 2023, we won the ‘Best Local Building Society’ category at the prestigious What Mortgage Awards for a 9th consecutive year, which is an incredible achievement. Alongside this, we were also proud to win the ‘Best Junior/Children's Savings Provider’ in the Personal Finance Awards. These are great achievements and something we are very proud of. However, we do not intend to stop there. We can’t wait to build on this moving forward and keep improving. The hard work never stops. what MORTGAGE AWARDS CELEBRATING 30 YEARS

- 2023 WINNER -

Best Local Building Society

Find out more Best Companies What Mortgage Awards Personal Finance Awards

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Our community

Support in 2023

Our communities are at the heart of what we do... and we are committed to helping support local events, clubs, initiatives and causes as much as we can. Here we explore the recent contributions and support we have provided within our local communities and branch locations.

Harpenden branch 2023 was a busy year for our Harpenden branch and our local support. From a sports club perspective, we sponsored Harpenden Town FC. Keep a look out for our pitch-side board in attendance at their newly renovated Rothamsted Park ground! We also sponsored a hole at the Thrales End golf day and provided sponsorship to Redbourn Cricket Club for the 22/23 season. Furthermore, we provided sponsorship for local events including the action-packed Harpenden Lions Highland Gathering, the Harpenden Academy Easter Egg Hunt and the Harpenden Music Makers Choir concert in July. Our Harpenden branch also attended the popular Harpenden Summer Carnival in June. On a sweltering day, our team were able to take in all the fun and atmosphere at our own dedicated stand. There was a raffle on offer with some great prizes to help raise money for the Society’s 2023 Charity of The Year Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care (RGPHC).

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Leighton Buzzard branch RGPHC are a charity that provide free, specialist care Mince and support Pies! for adults and children with life-limiting illness in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. They support and empower people from diagnoses to live the best quality of life possible. Their range of services include wellbeing therapies, emotional and practical support and palliative care. Our raffle managed to raise a brilliant £270! In late November, we attended the Harpenden Christmas carnival and lights switch on. Our team braved the elements and treated passers-by to mince pies and chocolates. During this time, we also sold raffle tickets to help raise money for RGPHC, with the prize on offer being a luxurious Christmas hamper.

Throughout the month of March our Leighton Buzzard team took on the challenge of walking 100km for Sands. Sands work to support anyone affected by pregnancy loss or the death of a baby. They carry out vital work to improve the maternity safety through targeted research, campaigning for change, working with government and reducing inequalities in healthcare to save babies’ lives. Our team reached their 100km target and raised £330 for the charity. A great achievement! We also helped support the Leighton Linslade Carnival which took place in July. Carnival day included a live entertainment arena, stalls, funfair rides, food, as well as a carnival float procession. This is an event that continues to give local residents a fun day out and an opportunity to participate in an event that nurtures community involvement. Moreover, we supported the Leighton Buzzard May Day Fayre which has traditionally been the largest single day event of its kind in Bedfordshire.

Additionally, we also contributed towards the Leighton Picnic in the Park event. This event, which has been running since the mid-1970s, is a day of fun and activities for 0-5 year olds to enjoy. However, due to very bad weather conditions this event was cancelled. We will look to support this event in 2024, where hopefully the weather will be better.

Leight on Buz zard H amper

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Tring branch Over in Tring, our support for local events was incredibly active. During the Summer, we sponsored a variety of events including the Tring Together golf day, Tring midsummer fun run and the Aldbury Fair which took place on the early Bank Holiday in May. This was a Fair filled with community spirit, spring festivities, local crafts, street food and live music. In March, we welcomed two groups of children from Goldfield School as part of their project ‘My Money Month’. The children took part in some role play, depositing and withdrawing money and we briefly explained the process to them. The children also brought a list of prepared questions to ask and wrote down the answers to take back with them. We explained in simple terms, what a Building Society is, why people save, how savings grow with interest and how our Society began. We did some money counting exercises with coins and piggy banks. Imitation bank notes were used to give the children a concept of what £1,000 looks like in the different denomination of notes. The children were happy to go back to school with a Harpenden Building Society gym bag and piggy bank each!

Radlett branch In the winter, we sponsored the annual Tring Christmas Festival. This was a fabulous and vibrant event with something for all generations to enjoy. Stalls, funfairs and a stage with performances created a hive of festive activity for the approximate 10,000 people in attendance. Furthermore, the annual RGPHC Santa float took place in December, bringing festive cheer to Tring and the surrounding villages. Our team were in attendance for the route, helping shake buckets to collect donations for a fantastic cause.

Finally in Radlett, we helped support local clubs such as the Radlett Bowls Club and Radlett Music Club. Our support also extended throughout the year to the Radlett Horticultural Society, Radlett Choir, and Newberries Primary School summer fair. During Easter, our Radlett and Tring branches held a ‘Guess how many eggs are in the jar’ competition, whereas our Harpenden and Leighton Buzzard branches held a ‘Guess the bunny’s name’ raffle prize draw. Participants of the raffle were able to pick a name from a list to decide what the bunny was called. All proceeds from these competitions went to RGPHC, with winners receiving prizes such as a luxury Easter themed hamper. We are extremely proud to be helping so many amazing community clubs, charities, festivals and events. We look forward to continuing our support in 2024!

Additionally, we donated to Hector’s House for their Big Christmas Give Challenge. This challenge allows supporters the opportunity to double their donations with match funding provided by the charity’s pledgers and the Big Give’s champions. Hector’s House is a suicide prevention and mental health awareness charity. Their mission is to stop suicide by ensuring everyone has access to mental health services, and to encourage people to talk openly about how they feel through education, awareness and support.

ett Radl

nny u B r Easte

Radlet t Easte r Com petitio n

Our Charity of the Year 2023 Read all of our latest news on our website

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Our colleagues

Support in 2023 Here we explore the recent contributions and support of our colleagues we have provided within our local communities and branch locations.

Eva’s Challenge for Diabetes UK Our Financial Crime Officer, Eva Frost, participated in the Swim22 challenge to help raise money for Diabetes UK. Swim22 is a challenge where participants had 3 months (22nd March – 22nd June) to complete a 22 mile swim (for context, this is the length of The English Channel between England and France). To complete this challenge, Eva had to swim 1416 lengths of a 25m pool. When talking about her story, Eva explained: “A few people in my life have been affected by diabetes and I myself am at risk of developing diabetes due to Polycystic Ovaries Syndrome. The best way to lower this risk is by losing weight, being active and following a healthy diet. So, to achieve this I challenged myself to swim (as this is my favourite form of exercise) the length of The English Channel and raise money for Diabetes UK. I decided to take part in this

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challenge to contribute towards a healthier me, and a better future for people living with diabetes. Upon completing the challenge in June, I was presented with a medal by my husband and son who came to support me on my last pool visit. I managed to raise £380 which I am delighted with. I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and will definitely carry on swimming”.

Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care London Bridge Walk In March, five of our colleagues completed the Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care London Bridges Walk on a wet Sunday morning. The walk which is a family-friendly day out takes in some of the capital’s most iconic bridges and landmarks. The walk - which in total was 10 miles - started at the Peace Pagoda in Battersea Park and finished at Tower Bridge. The route took our team over 12 bridges including Westminster Bridge, the Millennium Bridge and London Bridge. Our team did amazingly well in miserable conditions and managed to raise £835 in total.

Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care Colour Fun Run In June, our Senior Compliance Officer, Emma Brown, and our Tring Branch Manager, Gill Pearce, played a key role in the Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care Colour Fun Run. Taking place in Aldenham Country Park in Borehamwood, our colleagues were on hand as marshals to man the route, as well as throw paint at the willing runners. Talking in relation to the day, Emma comments: “I arrived at Aldenham Country Park just after 9.30am, my partners in crime Gill Pearce and her daughter were

already there enjoying the shade in the volunteer tent, on what turned out to be a glorious summer’s day. We were shown the way to our little ‘paint station’ which was essentially a small folding table in the middle of a field a few minutes away from the main event tents and got set up ready to throw the colour powders at the runners. With around 420 runners, there was a constant stream of runners and walkers for about 2 hours. They all came past us twice so the time passed really quickly, and before we knew it the race was over. The three of us had a lot of fun trying to make sure that everyone from the fastest runners to the littlest ones being carried on shoulders all had a fair coating of paint, and the kids of course got the colours they wanted most! A young lad playfully taunted Gill saying, “you can’t catch me”, so she rose to the challenge and ended up chasing him halfway round the field with a cup of powder paint in each hand. Final Score: Gill 2 Boy 0. He got coated! We too were also covered in paint to add to the fun. A fantastic fun day was had by all with the fundraising total for the event being just over £21,500”.

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Stand Up to Cancer Walkies Challenge During the month of April, our Compliance Monitoring Officer, Amanda Andrews, took part in the Stand Up To Cancer Walkies Challenge. Amanda succeeded in walking 60 miles throughout the month with her lovely miniature poodle pup Freddie to help raise much needed funds for lifesaving cancer research, a cause close to Amanda’s heart. Through colleagues, family and friends support, Amanda managed to raise a brilliant total of £260.

Rudolph Run On a soggy Sunday in early December, our Branch Manager for Harpenden and Radlett, Louise Wilson, participated in the St Albans Rudolph Run to help raise money for Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care. With antlers on and faces decorated in paint, Lousie, alongside her children, husband and niece completed the 1.5km gallop around the backstreets of St Albans. In total, Lousie managed to raise a fantastic £250.

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Coffee and Cake event In late September, we hosted a Macmillan Cancer Support coffee and cake event at our Head Office. This event was an opportunity for colleagues to get together and raise money for a great cause, all whilst enjoying some delicious food, and bonding over some fun games. Games included ‘Guess the famous baker’ and the eagerly anticipated ‘Who’s that Harpenden BS baby?’. Colleagues kindly volunteered to submit baby photos which were then put on display in the office. It was definitely harder than many anticipated, but a lot of fun too. The winners managed to guess a total of 15 out of 23. Some amazing homemade bakes were brought in including, brownies, ginger cake, lemon drizzle cake, sausage rolls, Battenburg and more! Across our branches and head office, colleagues raised a brilliant £354.29 for Macmillan Cancer Support. harpendenbs.co.uk

Supporting our communities…

Our volunteering We take great pride in supporting our local communities, volunteering and fundraising for local charities and causes close to our heart. As part of our 70th Anniversary celebrations, aligned with our continuous commitment to local communities, we set ourselves a target of 70 hours’ volunteering in 2023 - and we delivered over 300 hours! Congratulations to all of our colleagues for this achievement, we’re very proud of you. Here we highlight some of the fantastic causes our colleagues volunteered for during the last 12 months. 16

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2023: OVER 300 HOURS

Small Acts of Kindness Small Acts of Kindness (SAOK) are a charity that source and distribute practical gifts to older people in Hertfordshire. Their aim is to ensure that every older person feels warm in their home and connected to their community. They do this by sourcing and distributing practical gifts that reduce the negative impact that feeling lonely and isolated can have on older people’s physical and mental wellbeing. Their gifts help older people who are cold in their homes and often have to make the impossible choice between heating their homes and buying food. Throughout winter 2023, SAOK sourced, packed, and distributed 12,000 Warm in Winter gift bags, helping to heat the person, when they can’t afford to heat their home ensuring that they are warmer in their homes, happier and a little more connected to their community.

Following a previous successful volunteering day, ten colleagues volunteered again back in November to help pack bags of kindness and pass these onto a central collection point for onward distribution. Our colleagues attended two separate sessions where they worked alongside other volunteers in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. It was enlightening seeing all the hard work that goes into packing and distributing these bags. With a cost-of-living crisis too, the fantastic work that SAOK does provides a lifeline to many who are struggling throughout the winter months. We are proud to play a small part in the process.

Small Acts of Kindness

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Watling View School On a warm summer’s day back in July, seven of our colleagues made their way to Watling View School for a day of painting and garden clearance. Watling View is a maintained special school in St Albans, which caters for up to 92 pupils from 2-19 years old, with a wide range of complex and profound learning difficulties. Our team was split into two groups – one to clear outside and the other to paint classrooms (swapping duties after lunch). The first outside “task force” were required to clear all the bricks, rocks, wood, netting, and general building materials from beside the hydrotherapy pool shed and move them to behind the café and a further storage area. Wheelbarrows were filled and trundled all morning and by lunchtime the area had been completely cleared. The reason for doing this was to make space for the hydrotherapy pool shed to be demolished and a new larger, more fit for purpose building constructed in its place. Meanwhile the “interior design force” had been very busy painting a large classroom 18

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Sunnyside: Part 1 – trickier than first thought as there was a huge amount of educational information and equipment attached to the walls that needed to be painted around. After lunch our teams changed over and the outdoor crew took down and moved the ingenious plastic bottle greenhouse (which the students had built some years previously), whilst the interior force painted a second classroom. The greenhouse had been set up with a self-watering system, so that all the vegetables and fruit that the students had planted during the summer term would survive and flourish over the holidays when no-one was available to manage and water them. Finally, our team all pulled together at the end of the day to lift and move the various sections of the greenhouse (which were very heavy and bulky) to a far fence for storage until the new building had been completed and the greenhouse could be refitted. It was a very busy and fulfilling day enjoyed by all and great to help such a fantastic cause.

Sunnyside Rural Trust was founded in 1990 as a small, horticultural project for young people and adults with learning disabilities. It is now a thriving charity and social enterprise with three sites, offering training and work experience for over 150 vulnerable people (trainees) in the local community. Sunnyside train people with learning disabilities allowing them to acquire skills in a number of rural activities. These include beekeeping, looking after chickens, growing a wide range of plants and produce, landscaping and garden maintenance. In 2022, we provided a grant to Sunnyside to help open a community café at their Northchurch site and have continued our relationship with them ever since. In 2023, we dedicated two separate volunteering days with Sunnyside at their Northchurch and Hemel Hempstead sites respectively. In May, our first day took place at Northchurch with five colleagues volunteering to help out.

The Northchurch site has various habitats. Fruit, vegetables, herbs, and plants are grown organically for sale in the farm shop or use in the kitchen. They also have chickens, goats, pigs, and sheep which help provide therapeutic and practical skills for trainees. Under expert supervision, our colleagues were put to good use, tasked with clearing a couple of polytunnels of weeds before planting various vegetables, including pumpkins for the Autumn. The supervisor Catherine was incredibly knowledgeable and even taught our team how to eat a nettle without being stung and provided us with a recipe to make dandelion honey. A fantastic lunch was provided on site, which had been prepared by trainees in the kitchen using ingredients grown on-site. Later in the day, our colleagues got to feed the chickens as well as the goats who were pleased to see our team as they were armed with produce that were hand-picked earlier in the day. A great day was had by all our team with staff really appreciating our help.

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Riding for the Disabled

Sunnyside: The sequel Our second volunteering day took place on a hot September day at Sunnyside’s Hemel Hempstead Food Garden site. This time three colleagues took part in volunteering. The Hemel site is similar to Northchurch in many ways, including having a farm shop which sells Sunnyside produce (fresh eggs, honey, jam and vegetables). Adjacent to the farm shop is also the Sunnyside Up café. The café has a relaxing atmosphere making it a popular destination for passers-by along the canal. The café provides trainees the opportunity to learn all the skills required to run a café, such as customer service, handling money, acting as a barista, cooking and stock control. Under the expert supervision of Nick, our colleagues were put to hard work, tasked with clearing one of the vegetable beds that had come to the end of its season and planting out another area. The day was hot, and our team were grateful Nick selected an area that was pleasantly shady. 20

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Lunch was a tasty mix of sandwiches, prepared by trainees in the kitchen using ingredients grown on site just like Northchurch. Our team had the chance to talk to Paula, Sunnyside’s volunteer co-ordinator, to learn more about the Sunnyside project and some of the lives that have been transformed by the great work it does. The afternoon found our team in a fruit cage full of redcurrant bushes that had reached peak ripeness and needed picking. The redcurrants would be turned into jam for sale in Sunnyside’s farm shop and also used in their café. We were delighted to provide our time in helping Sunnyside for a second day and look forward to more day’s volunteering across their sites in the future.

Sunnyside Rural Trust

Our Branch Associate, Nicola Howes, volunteered at Digswell Place Riding for the Disabled (RDA). Digswell Place is a purpose built, voluntarily run stable in Welwyn Garden City for adults and children with most kinds of disability. Their aim is to give the opportunity of riding to any disabled person which may benefit their health and well-being.

side of the pony close to the rider or in some cases holding the rider in place depending on the level of disability.

Below is Nicola’s story about her volunteering days from September 2023.

It costs approximately £100,000 per year to keep the centre operational. There are only 3 employed staff and an army of regular volunteers that help with all the work that goes into making this a very special place.

“I was very lucky to choose two beautiful days weather wise for my volunteering. The RDA at Digswell has been in operation for 50 years with the same person at the helm for this entire time. In celebration of this achievement, their Patron Princess Anne visited them last week. Sadly, I was a week late and there was no such celebration when I turned up, but they were all very pleased to have an extra pair of hands to help and were very welcoming. On both days I started at 8.45am and my day consisted of stable duties in the mornings i.e. mucking out, filling hay nets and cleaning and filling lots of buckets of water. In the afternoon, I did what they call side walking both in the woods and the arena. This consists of walking at the

Digswell centre is a beautiful place and immaculately kept, no stone is left unturned with the welfare of the ponies, which must all have very special qualities in order for them to be suitable for this job.

They provide riding therapy for physically and mentally disabled individuals and have recently introduced a new therapy called Picnic with a Pony for people with dementia and PTSD issues. Horses are like all animals, nonjudgemental, and are very tuned into human emotions. They can prove to be very therapeutic, just being in their presence can bring many benefits to a troubled mind. I thoroughly enjoyed my two days and would encourage anyone if they enjoy the company of animals or ponies in particular, to volunteer for an incredible cause”.

To find out more about Digswell Place Group Riding for the Disabled

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Harpenden Online FAQs

Harpenden Online is a simple and safe way to manage your account(s) online, wherever you are. Register for Harpenden Online to enjoy the convenience of:

Account opening and access to our online savings products

24/7 access to view your accounts on any device

Request payments to your nominated account

Check your interest rates and account information

Update your personal contact information

Opt in to receive our marketing email communication

Securely communicate with our Member Services Team

Our savings products available to open within Harpenden Online are subject to availability and change. 22

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Harpenden Online FAQs Harpenden Online is safe, simple and secure.

It allows you to access and to manage your savings accounts on the go safely and securely. Here are some frequently asked questions for using Harpenden Online:

What is Harpenden Online and what does it do? Harpenden Online is the simple and safe way to apply for any accounts with online capability and manage your Harpenden Building Society account(s) conveniently and securely. You can take advantage of 24/7 access to view your accounts and transaction history on any device. Who can use Harpenden Online? If you are a current Member of the Society and are over 18, you can view your savings accounts using Harpenden Online. You just need to login or complete the registration process and you can utilise the benefits; access to your accounts 24/7, check balances, view your transaction history and more. If you aren’t a current Member, you can still open a savings account with us using Harpenden Online from any of our online account(s) available at the time. Once you complete the registration and account opening process, you become a valued Member of the Society and can view and manage your online account(s) through Harpenden Online once the account is open.

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What savings accounts are available to use within Harpenden Online? At any time, we may have a selection of savings products that are available to only open online. Any online only accounts will not include a passbook for you to use, however, if you feel that you need the capability to use a passbook to manage your account, they are available upon request from our Member Services Team or ask within one of our branches. Also, we may have savings products available that provide you with the option to open online, within a branch, or by making an application by post. You need to check the individual product availability and terms and conditions. Our savings section on our website, as well as our collateral within branch will clearly define the products available at any time and the channels available to open. How do I register for Harpenden Online and open an account? You can register and manage your account via Harpenden Online. Visit our website and click on Harpenden Online to get started, then follow the necessary steps and instructions needed.

Alternatively, if you are viewing any of our savings products individual pages – you can click on Apply Now to begin the Registration process. Subject to that particular product being available to open online. When you apply online, the Society will check your identity electronically at the time of application. This works for most applicants, but don’t worry, if we can’t do it for you, we should still be able to open an account for you, but we may need to ask for some further documentation.

registered, and you will then be prompted to enter a new password. You will be sent an email containing an activation key. When you next login (using your new password) you will need to enter the activation key as part of the login process. The activation key you receive is valid for fourteen days. Is this service available for mortgage Members? Currently, Harpenden Online is only available for savings accounts and you are not able to view your mortgage accounts.

I’m an existing Harpenden Online user, how do I login and manage an existing account or open a new account? You can login and manage your account via Harpenden Online. Click on Harpenden Online on our homepage and then select Login to get started, then follow the necessary steps and instructions needed.

What information or proof of ID do I need with me to register for Harpenden Online or open an online savings account? All financial institutions are required to gather information to verify your identity, prevent fraud and comply with money laundering regulations.

You will be able to access your existing savings accounts and check what other accounts are available to open online.

To open any available savings account(s) online - you do not need any identification with you, only an email address is needed. When you apply online for a personal savings account, the Society will check your identity electronically at the time of application.

Can I register for Harpenden Online and open an account if I don’t have an email address? Unfortunately not. You will need an email address to be able to register and use Harpenden Online and open any online savings accounts. You still have the option to open and manage savings accounts in a branch or by post. I’ve forgotten my password, what do I do? If you’ve forgotten your Harpenden Online password, you can reset it by clicking the ‘Forgotten Details?’ link on the Harpenden Online login page.

This works for most applicants, but don’t worry, if we can’t do it for you, we should still be able to open an account for you, but we may require some additional documentation. More information on our Identification Requirements can be found in the savings section of our website.

You will need to enter your User ID and an account number that you have already

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Where can I view your Harpenden Online Terms and Conditions? Our Harpenden Online Terms and Conditions are available to view during the registration and/or account opening process and at any time when you are logged into your account. They are also available to view on our Harpenden Online page.

How quickly can an online account be approved? After logging in or registering, once you’ve completed the account opening process, there might be a delay in opening your account.

Can I open a Business, Professional or Charity account online? Harpenden Online is currently set up for personal savings accounts only. You can view our available business accounts on our website.

If we can identify you electronically, we might be able to open your account straight away.

My contact details have changed, what do I do? Telephone or email address changes can be made within Harpenden Online. Once you have logged in, click on your name (in the top left hand corner of the screen), then select ‘Contact Details’ and make your amendments.

What is ‘One Time Passcode’ (OTP)? OTPs are unique passwords that are only valid for a single login session for a defined period of time.

To notify us of a change of address, you will need to notify us by post or in person at a branch using our ‘Change of Customer Details Form’.

An OTP is a unique six-digit code sent to you and acts as a secure key to your account, helping to stop anyone but you authorising transactions or making changes.

Can I access Harpenden Online from outside the UK? Yes but we do not recommend this. If you use Harpenden Online outside the UK we won’t be liable to you if your use of the Harpenden Online services does not comply with any local laws.

How does OTP work? When you login to your account on Harpenden Online, you will view a landing page where you select your choice of how you want to receive delivery of your OTP. You have two options;

What happens after I’ve applied for an online savings account? Once an application to open an online savings account is made, an account number will be allocated and you will receive an email from Harpenden Online detailing how to add funds to your new account.

If we can’t, there may be a short delay while we check everything out and set up your account.

New Members applying for an online savings account, will register for Harpenden Online during the account application process, but you will need to wait for receipt of your User ID before transactions on the account can be made.

If you’re worried because you’ve not heard from us, call us on 01582 765411 or email us on enquiries@harpendenbs.co.uk

How you can contact us regarding Harpenden Online? You can talk to someone about Harpenden Online, via a secure message facility, once logged in to Harpenden Online. This is not a live chat system, but your message will be answered at the earliest opportunity by a member of our Harpenden Building Society Member Services Team Alternatively, you can contact our Member Services team on: enquiries@harpendenbs.co.uk or call us on 01582 765411.

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If you apply online, we’ll email you to confirm when your account is open. We’ll let you know your account number and sort code or you can login to Harpenden Online.

I’m not sure if my account opening process was approved? If you completed the online process, then you should receive email confirmation from us about two working days afterwards to confirm your account has been opened. If during the account opening process you click on the back button on screen at any time – this can prevent your account opening being completed. Do I need to complete a new application to open a savings account if I am transferring funds from another Harpenden Building Society account? Yes, you can apply for a new account online, depending on the account type and if the existing account is to be closed or not, you may need to complete a product transfer form. Contact us for more information.

We may block your access to the Harpenden Online services if you try to access them from a country that is subject to sanctions (even if you’re only there for a short period of time). See more about this in our Harpenden Online Terms and Conditions. What is two factor authentication? Two factor authentication is an extra level of security to make sure only you can access Harpenden Online to manage your account(s) securely. This is all part of our commitment to protect our customers against fraud.

One time passwords (OTPs) are an authentication method commonly used as part of two-factor identification (2FA) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) that can help balance these needs.

OTP is used each time you login and access your online account and each passcode is valid for one login session or transaction.

Text message (recommended option) OR Telephone call. If you choose to receive your OTP by Text message The phone number/s registered on your Harpenden Online account will be presented for selection, to be used as the preferred number. Once requested, you will receive a text message containing your six-digit code. It usually reaches your phone within seconds, although this will depend on your network coverage. From the moment it is sent you, the code is valid for fifteen minutes, before it expires. After that fifteen minutes you will need to go back to the page to choose your sending

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Some quick Harpenden Online tips from our Member Services team… Opening a savings account online… • When opening an account online, you can set up your account password at the application stage of the process • Also, please ensure you digitally sign the application and consent to an electronic identification check - which we need to successfully complete to fulfil the process.

Managing your account online… preference again and request another OTP.

to proceed to use Harpenden Online.

When you receive the code please enter as prompted on screen. You will then be able to proceed to use Harpenden Online.

If you have chosen to receive your code via a Telephone call and only have a landline number registered

If you choose to receive your OTP by Telephone call You will receive a call which will provide you with your six-digit code.

It is fine to receive a code to a landline, if you have one assigned to your account. However, we would recommend that the Text message option is chosen as this is the simplest option.

From the moment it is sent to you, the code is valid for fifteen minutes, before it expires. After that fifteen minutes you will need to go back to the page to choose your sending preference again. When you receive the code please enter as prompted on screen. You will then be able

What to do if you receive an unexpected OTP If you receive an unexpected text message or telephone call then please do not login to Harpenden Online but instead contact us immediately on 01582 765411 during our working hours.

• If you’re unable to remember your password – select the ‘forgotten details’ link and follow the process to reset your password • As a prompt – your User ID is a unique 7 or 9 digital ID • When you are logged in to your account - to request a transfer online please select ‘Transfer’ and complete the relevant options • To cancel a transfer request please select ‘Transfer’ and then click on ‘Outstanding transfer request for all accounts’ – then complete the process necessary • For all savings products – the minimum and maximum balances still apply when transferring funds online • To request a closure please select ‘Details’ and then ‘Account Closure’ • To ensure transfers are actioned smoothly, you should input in the reference box when requesting a transfer what the reason is for withdrawing • When transferring funds online into a savings account, it can take up to 24 working hours for the balance to be updated.

Our Member Services team are on hand to help, you can contact them on 01582 765 411 or on enquiries@harpendenbs.co.uk View of full savings FAQs on our website

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Here’s what some of our members have said about us this year…

“They took the time to explain account options and rates. Really great, friendly and efficient service” “Pleasant, friendly, knowledgeable staff”

With over 1 million customer reviews, Smart Money People is the UK’s dedicated financial services review site. Smart Money People is where people can read and leave reviews for financial services companies. By reading these reviews, both individuals and businesses can make more informed decisions about who to trust for savings, mortgages, insurance policy, credit card, loan, or pension.

“Always friendly, always helpful, always have time for you. Nice to have a personal touch and have someone to speak to if you have any queries” “Most helpful regarding savings, with the customer at the forefront at what they do”

Your feedback could win you £100 in our prize draw* We’re always looking at ways to improve our service for our members, so if there’s something you think we could do better, or would like to see more of, or you think we’re doing really well we’d love to hear from you. We’d really appreciate if you could take the time to review your experience with us on the Smart Money People website. All feedback is reviewed by our management team so any feedback, big or small, will help provide us with valuable insight and ensure that we can continue to provide a personal service to you. Sometimes it is often the small things that make the big difference!

Leave us a review 30

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4.65 Based on 182 reviews

83%

5% Smart Money People score correct as at 23rd January 2024.

*Prize draw terms and conditions apply see page 35 for full details.

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A little bit of housekeeping… In addition to any regulatory communication we may send you regarding your savings account(s) or mortgage - we deliver two categories of email communication to members…

Marketing campaigns • Can include promotion of our products • Product launches and criteria changes

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR STORIES… We welcome our members to send us any stories to include them in future editions… send our editors any of the below: • Any fundraising achievements • Any volunteering or community support you have provided • Or let us know if there is any specific advice or content you would like us to talk about? Maybe protection online or digital advice… Send us your content, details and any photos or images… we’d love to hear from you. Contact the team: members@harpendenbs.co.uk Or via post: Editorial team, Harpenden Building Society, Mardall House, 9-11 Vaughan Road, Harpenden AL5 4HU 32

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Membership messaging • Mutual e-magazine • Membership email campaigns • Improvements or upgrades to our service to members • Customer surveys • Opportunity to review on Smart Money People

WHY AM I RECEIVING

MUTUAL E-MAGAZINE FROM

HARPENDEN BUILDING SOCIETY? We are proud to be an independent Mutual Building Society. The moment you successfully open a personal savings account with us, or take out a mortgage, you become a member. That is why we have decided to launch this e-magazine. We believe the content within each issue is a benefit to our members; containing regular information

regarding our services, our latest news, community and fundraising activity, online protection and digital advice and raising awareness of any topical news or awareness days or months. HOW REGULARLY WILL I RECEIVE EACH ISSUE?

We aim to produce and deliver on a regular basis and also provide you with frequent email campaigns in between issues - containing content we believe is informative and a benefit to our members. harpendenbs.co.uk

e-magazine survey Mutual is our brand-new e-magazine for you, our members. Mutual will update you with our latest news and provide informative and topical content which we feel will be of interest and value to you. IS MUTUAL E-MAGAZINE JUST A MARKETING CAMPAIGN FROM HARPENDEN?

No absolutely not. We consider the e-magazine and any related email campaigns associated with relevant content as membership messaging we won’t constantly bombard you with information promoting our products. However at times we may occasionally inform members about our product range and explain savings products in general. I HAVE RECEIVED MEMBERSHIP AND/OR MARKETING

CAMPAIGNS FROM YOU…

HOW DID YOU GET MY EMAIL

ADDRESS AND WHY ARE YOU

SENDING THESE EMAILS TO ME? We had your email address on record from previous correspondence with you or at your account opening stage and for marketing campaigns - your current preferences were set to opt in to receive. The communication we send to you we believe is a benefit to our members – however, if you would like to unsubscribe - you can unsubscribe 34

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using the information at the footer of all campaigns we send - and you can select your preferences of the communication you wish to receive from us. Please allow up to 15 working days for your preferences to be updated. WHERE CAN I VIEW YOUR PRIVACY NOTICE?

It is easily available to view at the footer of our website - www.harpendenbs.co.uk CAN I BE SENT A PRINTED VERSION

We’d really appreciate it if you can take the time to complete the survey on the link below. Your feedback will provide us with valuable insight and will be reviewed by the editorial team. Thank you for completing our survey.

Complete the survey

OF MUTUAL E-MAGAZINE?

OR RECEIVE A LARGER FONT PRINTED VERSION?

Get in touch with the team at members@harpendenbs.co.uk – and we will see what we can do. Please note: We may still occasionally email you if we need to notify you directly about your account(s). We are obliged to deliver any regulatory communication to a customer when/where necessary. Any regulatory communication would still occur despite any previous unsubscribes to any form of email communication.

*Smart Money People - prize draw Prize draw terms and conditions: There is no cost to be in with the chance of winning £100; simply complete the online feedback form including your contact details, or alternatively you can complete a form after receiving a service in one of our branches. The email address or phone number you provide may be used by us to respond to your reviews, so we can further improve your experience with us, but will not be used for marketing purposes. The prize will be allocated by cheque on a monthly basis and the winner will be notified by email or telephone within five working days. The closing date for completed feedback is the 26th of the month prior to the draw e.g. 26th February will be the closing date for the draw in March. The winner’s identity will remain confidential unless you give explicit consent otherwise. You must be aged 18 or over and entries are limited to 1 per customer, per month. Employees and board members of Harpenden Building Society are not eligible to enter. harpendenbs.co.uk