During our special day, we buried a time capsule with help from pupils at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, to give school children in 2124 a historic cache of what life was like in Greater Manchester in 2024. We also presented our first round of grants from the Vernon Charitable Foundation, which launched in our centenary year. We want to say a big thank you to all Vernon colleagues, past and present, for their contribution to this proud day. We're now shaping the Vernon's history for the next century, building a better future together!
Our centenary day celebrations
Thank you to Viaduct Video for producing this video which captures what it's like to be a part of the Vernon and how we've celebrated our milestone!
Centenary time capsule
We wanted to capture all that's great in Greater Manchester and Cheshire with what we included in the capsule. Such as a vinyl single from Stockport band The Blossoms, a Stockport County scarf, and a rare coin made with graphene, a new material discovered twenty years ago by the University of Manchester.
Many of the items in our time capsule were selected by the school children, including a St Joseph’s school tie, a letter from the school, and examples of their Head Teacher’s awards. We included special Vernon items as well, like a copy of the original minutes from the Vernon’s first board meeting on 27 March 1924 and a page copied from an early ledger book, showing the first mortgage advance of £200 to Christopher and Myfanwy Stevens on 6 September 1924.
Find a full list of items in our centenary time capsule here.
Vernon Charitable Foundation
As part of our commitment to giving back to local causes, in our centenary year, we're excited to have launched the Vernon Charitable Foundation. The Foundation has over £100,000 to support local charities in Stockport, Cheshire, and Greater Manchester. We were extremely proud to announce the first four recipients of grants from the Vernon Charitable Foundation on our Centenary day:
1. Stockport Lads Club - £3,045.00
2. Cheadle Heath Community Association at the Rose Walker Community Centre and Friendly Fridays - £2,500.00
3. New Horizons Canal Boat- £2,500.00
4. Cafe Unity- £4,855.08
St Petersgate refurbishments
As part of our £1.2 million investment to improve our branch network over 2 years, we have refurbished our St Petersgate branch. We've created a fresh and contemporary look that makes better use of our space, and enables us to better support and engage with our local communities. We've been in Stockport for 100 years and have seen many things change. Throughout that time, it's been our pleasure to serve this community whilst other banks and building societies have left Stockport. Refurbishing our St Petersgate branch is our commitment to the community and a message to those who remain - we're here to stay.
As with our recent branch refurbishments in Reddish and Hazel Grove, our branch was designed by Standing Space, and work was carried out by local contractors Monks Morton Design Interiors, Flexible Office and Sharp. During our two-month refurb, the branch remained open to our Members and customers at all times. A big thank you to Pete Adamson, who supplied the photography for our large window etchings, showing off some landmarks of Stockport town centre.
Find out more about our St Petersgate Refurbishment
here.
Origins and foundation of the Vernon
Established in 1924 by T.A.V. Sutton, our name originally came from the fact there were 12 building societies based in Stockport at the time of our creation, and so to stand out, we were named Vernon Building Society.
From the beginning, we envisioned bringing savers and homebuyers together, and providing financial services to the local community, which hasn't changed over the last century. Over our 100 years, we have seen economic storms and shown an unwavering commitment to adaptability and all our Members. From our beginning of offering basic savings and mortgage services, we have grown to meet the changing needs of our local community.
An aspect of our legacy is our commitment to community engagement. Over the years, we have actively supported local organisations and community events that have contributed to our local area. From sponsoring youth sports teams, to partnering with local schools on financial education programs, we believe in investing in the future of our Greater Manchester and Cheshire.
Find out more about our history here.
