AN anti-poverty project in the heart of Greenock town centre has been praised in parliament for keeping a total of £7m worth of savings safe for local people.

The Tail o' the Bank Credit Union has been hailed by Inverclyde's MP at Westminster for fighting hardship and supporting people throughout the pandemic.

Staff and volunteers pulled out all the stops to keep operating throughout the Covid-19 crisis.

The Tele recently highlighted its success in supporting members by offering ethical ways to save and borrow cash.

Now the credit union has been hailed in the House of Commons.

MP Ronnie Cowan said: "I asked the house to note the difficult and unprecedented year for Tail O' The Bank Credit Union, who have stayed open offering a vital service to the community of Inverclyde.

"In the financial year 2019-20 the credit union held £7.28 million in savings for its members and provided £1.38m in affordable, ethical loans to members, ensuring that the wealth is contained within Inverclyde.

"We should welcome all the efforts of the staff and volunteers who have worked tirelessly throughout the Covid-19 lockdown to support members and thank those staff and volunteers for their great work."

In the year 2019-20 members deposited £2 million worth of savings, bringing their total to over £7m.

Mr Cowan said: "I am delighted to support the credit union, it is a valuable organisation at a time when it is very difficult for local people."

Union chief executive Beth Welsh says she is 'delighted' to see the team get some recognition at Westminster.

She said: "We are there for people from all walks of life and offer small loans and competitive loans for people.

"We are very proud that people trust us with their money.

"We are committed to keeping our doors open for local people so they can come in and deposit money.

"But we are also expanding our online services as well as we want to include everyone."