Our history
A brief history of Newbury Building Society
Hello, we're Newbury Building Society - we're a proudly independent mutual and have been supporting our members and local communities for over 165 years.
Since our founding in 1856 as The Newbury Permanent Benefit Building and Investment Society, we’ve grown steadily and today serve over 76,000 members through ten branches across Berkshire, Hampshire, and Oxfordshire. Whilst much has changed, our commitment to being a trusted provider of mortgages and savings remainds as strong as ever.
Explore our journey through the years
Newbury in the 1800s
1857 - At the first Annual General Meeting (AGM), mortgage advances totalling £840 have been granted. There are 57 members and a profit of £14 and 10 shillings.
1894 - A struggling rival, Newbury and District Industrial Building Society, merges with the newly named Newbury and Permanent Benefit Building Society.
1896 - The Society's original rented premises in Northbrook Street, Newbury are purchased for £525.
1906 - Assets of £50,000 recorded.
1932 - The Society's name is changed to Newbury Building Society and assets of £500,000 are recorded.
1939 - At the onset of World War Two, the Building Societies Association recommends mortgage advances are suspended ‘for the present’.
1962 - The first branch outside Newbury is opened in 1972 Aldershot.
1970/1971 - branches in Andover and Wokingham open.
1974/81 - Alton, Abingdon, Didcot, and Thatcham all join the list of branches.
1982 - The Society's head office teams move to a purpose built space in Bartholomew Street, Newbury. The front office becomes the Newbury branch.
1986 - The Society opens a branch in Hungerford.
1993 - Newbury branch moves to Northbrook Street.
1995 - Head office is extended to fit a growing number of teams, a measure of the growing success of the Society.
1997 - David Hopson retires as Chairman, thereby ending over 130 years and four generations of his family as Directors of the Society.
Newbury in the 1900s
Newbury during the 2000s
2007 - Roland Gardner is appointed Chief Executive after joining the Society in 2001.
2008 - Junior Newbury Building Society (JNBS) is launched, supporting local primary school children to learn about money and develop healthy savings habits.
2010 - The Society opens a new branch in Festival Place, Basingstoke.
2016 - The Society celebrates its 160th birthday with events in its branches for its colleagues, members and business connections.
2017 - The Society records assets of £1.009 billion.
2021 - The Society win 'Best Building Society' at the British Bank Awards.
2022 - Roland Gardner retires after 15 years as Chief Executive, and is replaced by Phillippa Cardno, who joined the Society in 1996.
2023 - Newbury Building Society feature on a special Newbury town edition of Monopoly.
2024 - The Society partners with OneBanx, installing a free-to-use kiosk in
Thatcham branch to support high street access to cash. The launch is featured on the BBC.
2025 - The Society win Trusted Quality Provider at the UK's biggest customer service awards, the UK Customer Satisfaction Awards, beating companies like John Lewis and BT.
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