I have received a follow up to the exchanges I had with Barclays about closing its Wokingham branch. I am pleased to see there will be assistance available for local Barclays customers in the Bradbury Centre four days a week, close to where the old branch was. I reproduce the letter below from Barclays:
Following our correspondence regarding Wokingham branch closure, I’m writing to let you know further details regarding our Barclays Local face to face replace service for customers.
From Tuesday 22nd August, I’m pleased to confirm that Barclays colleagues will be available at the Bradbury Centre, Rose Street, Wokingham on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday between 9.30am-12.30pm and 1pm-3.30pm, offering face to face financial support and education for customers, without the need for them to travel.
Customers visiting us at the Bradbury Centre are able to access a wide range of services including assistance with everyday finances and money management (such as helping customers opening accounts, updating customer details, or paying bills), free digital skills workshops and fraud and scams awareness events for the community. As the replace service is a cashless site, everyday banking transactions including cash deposits and withdrawals will need to be completed at a local Post Office.
Barclays is committed to deploying a range of more flexible ways that customers can physically interact with the bank. This now includes over 250 pop-up banking sites located in town and city centres, plus presence in spaces such as community centres, libraries, and business hubs where it offers drop in and pre-booked appointments, along with the support of our Barclays van.
August 11, 2023
Well done you & Barclays for delivering what the customers want.
Here in North Suffolk & South Norfolk we have a similar issue over a much larger area. Barclays in Eye is closed, Harleston, Diss & Framingham also on the execution list. Fine, if Barclays are going to provide a local service in community hubs. Even if a couple of days a week. Our local post offices can only do so much. Looks like you may have provided other areas with an interim solution. 👏👏👏
August 11, 2023
Hi John
So we all should be grateful for them giving their customers a part time service
While they make profits from our savings
August 13, 2023
Sir John,
I suppose it’s better than nothing, but not much.
A cashless bank? Good grief! I wonder how many of Barclays top executives have queued up for thirty odd minutes at the back of Smiths, just to draw twenty quid of their own money to buy a few bits of fruit and an artizan loaf from our market?
I suppose the answer is to change banks to one that still offers real banking services locally. Sadly, I suspect all the banks will act like sheep and go down the same route as Barclays Bank.
It is odd that the Post Office stopped offering it’s own bank accounts given that we will be forced to go there for cash banking. I wonder if The Post Office will make as much fuss and ask as many questions and require ID if you dare to ask for a couple of grand of your own money? Will they have to have access to your account to make any such decisions?