Campaign for Cash Blogs

I have always felt that Banking Hubs were a great idea but in practice just a sticking plaster as I told The Telegraph in an article a few months ago. I recently found out that a Banking Hub has opened in Coulsdon in Surrey, a 15-minute drive from my home in Sutton, which straddles the London / Surrey boarders. I need to find out for myself what are these hubs actually like: can you replicate an actual bank branch, and are they filling the void? For context, the town of Coulsdon has two train stations, Coulsdon South and Coulsdon Town. […]

The debate over cash acceptance in the UK reached a critical point when the Treasury Select Committee launched its investigation into the issue. With bank branches disappearing, ATMs vanishing, and more businesses refusing to take cash, the Committee sought answers: While many organisations presented their views, one of the most significant moments came when the Treasury itself gave evidence. And what they said—and didn’t say—revealed just how fragile the future of cash really is. Compelling Evidence: Why Cash Acceptance is Failing People The first session of the inquiry saw powerful testimonies from witnesses who made it clear that the decline […]

Not long ago, cash was the default way to pay. Fast forward to today, and an increasing number of businesses refuse it altogether. Many people assume this shift is about security, hygiene, or even customer preference. But the real reason is something else entirely: businesses want automation. Brett Scott, financial activist and author, explains in an interview with Nathalie Nahai that businesses aren’t rejecting cash because it’s inconvenient for customers – they’re doing it because they want to remove human involvement from transactions entirely. By eliminating cash, businesses can centralise operations, track every sale digitally, and automate financial processes. But […]

We had a really interesting meeting with Hackney Councillor Clare Joseph recently, who’s thought a lot about the importance of cash acceptance. “It’s a really big issue for people” she told us over a cup of tea. “It’s a big issue for my residents, and it’s an equality issue”. We had read about Clare’s extensive efforts to protect people’s use of cash in her borough which she’s become well-known for, and Carla reached out to her on social media and asked if she would meet us. She read all about our campaign and then kindly agreed, despite being 35 weeks […]

Last week was the autumn half-term at my children’s school, and we decided to spend a few days by the sea in Margate, to get a bit of fresh sea air and have a change of scene. My other half had just taken a big TV job and couldn’t get any time off, so I wanted to make a good plan to keep me and the kids busy. My mum grew up in Herne Bay, and it’s where her sister (my auntie) Judy still lives, so we thought we’d all get together in this cute seaside town nearby. My mum […]