The Credit Union “Mission Statement”
The mission of St Patrick’s (ESB Staff) Credit Union is to promote the financial well being of its members. To achieve this purpose the Credit Union is committed to providing a broad range of innovative financial products supported by the excellent service of a dedicated, well-trained staff. These programs will be administered in accordance with sound management practices to maintain the financial strength of the Credit union. The Board of Directors, Management and Staff of the Credit Union hereby affirm that the efforts of the Credit Union will be consistently and professionally dedicated to the accomplishment of this mission.
The Credit Union Story
The modern Credit Union movement traces its origins to Germany and to Friedrich Willhelm Raiffeisen, the Mayor of a small town in southern Germany, who in 1849 formed societies, which later evolved into Credit Unions. The purposes of these Credit Unions was to enable people to help themselves in relieving debt and poverty.
A Credit Union is a democratic, financial co-operative owned and controlled by its own members. Each Credit Union is run only to benefit its members, all of whom have something in common - the common bond.
The Credit Union movement was introduced into Ireland in 1958 by Nora Herilhy with the support of a number of other dedicated pioneers.
Since then, the Credit Union philosophy of mutual self-help has proved very popular, and there are now over 530 Credit Unions affiliated to the Irish League of Credit Unions throughout the country.
In Ireland over two million members have recognized the value of Credit Unions, and have savings approaching several billion euro with their credit unions. There are thousands employed in the sector and many more thousands are volunteers involved in the movement.
St. Patrick’s Credit Union’s Story
Our Credit Union was founded in October 1962. It started in humble surrondings, being operated out of the drawer of an engineering officer’s desk buried in the bowels of the old Fitzwilliam Street buildings; and is now situated in its present splendid accomodation on Herbert Place.
The success story of St. Patricks can be attributed to many factors; the sound co-operative principles on which the Credit Union movement is based, the vision of the founder Directors, the dedication of Directors, Agents and Staff down through the years, and the co-operation of ESB management.
Since its foundation St. Patrick’s Credit Union has been controlled and managed by an elected Board of 13 voluntary Directors, drawn from within the membership of the Credit Union, and to date over 70 individual members have served as Directors. | 
05 September 2010
