Vernon Building Society completes refurbishment of St Petersgate headquarters

Stockport mutual, Vernon Building Society, has completed an impressive refurbishment of its headquarters on St Petersgate in the town centre.

The refurbishment is part of a £1.2 million investment in the Vernon Building Society’s branches as part of a long-standing commitment to providing face-to-face mortgage and savings support for Greater Manchester and Cheshire. Following recent refurbishments for the Reddish and Hazel Grove sites, the building society’s Bramhall branch will be the next to receive a new look as it moves into the fomer NatWest building in the village.

The £400,000 refurbishment of the St Petersgate branch has created a fresh and contemporary interior which makes better use of its space while reflecting the Vernon’s modern look and feel. Additional meeting rooms have been added to ensure a better experience for Members and colleagues.

In addition, a new community space has been introduced to enable collaboration and engagement with local charities, non-profit organisations, and community groups. The facilities offer a large meeting table and area, with refreshments, WiFi and screen for presentations. The space is available during branch opening hours and is booked in advance.

The refreshed St Petersgate HQ also includes the addition of a new defibrillator, which is being installed as part of a wider partnership with AEDdonate. The Vernon has committed to install an automated external defibrillator  at or nearby each of its six branches which can potentially save the lives of someone suffering a cardiac arrest.

The Vernon has been in the three-story building since 1988 and it is the biggest of the building society’s six branches across Stockport and Cheshire. The St Petersgate headquarters is home to the Vernon’s 65-strong marketing, HR, customer service, intermediary, risk, finance, IT and operations teams.

As with Vernon Building Society’s recent branch refurbishments in Reddish and Hazel Grove, the branch was designed by Standing Space, and work has been carried out by local contractors Monks Morton Design Interiors, Flexible Office and Sharp. During the two-month refurb, the branch remained open to Members and customers at all times.

Steve Fletcher, Chief Executive at the Vernon, said:

“We’ve been proudly based on St Petersgate in Stockport for 100 years now, but as we celebrate our centenary, it’s fitting that we have a modern and vibrant space that colleagues can be proud of and Members can enjoy spending time in. I couldn’t be happier with the finished result.

“Our high street branch network is incredibly important to our Members. The move to digital life benefits some in society, but there are others who would prefer to make important financial decisions by speaking in person to a local and qualified member of staff. While many banks are closing their high street branches, we will continue to invest in ours for as long as our Members continue to value them.”