• New community rooms open at Perry Barr, Kingstanding, Shrewsbury, Tipton and Bearwood branches.
• Free spaces available for use by local groups, clubs & societies and small businesses.

West Brom Building Society has opened its doors to the public with the launch of its first ever community spaces across five of its branches in its heartlands. The rooms offer local groups and customers a free space to meet and connect with each other.

The spaces, which have launched in branches at Perry Barr, Kingstanding, Shrewsbury, Tipton and Bearwood, are available for community groups, clubs & societies and small businesses to host meetings, activities and events.

It’s the first time the building society has opened any dedicated spaces for the community and is part of its wider commitment to bringing the community into its branches.

Rekha Rani, Perry Barr Branch Manager at the West Brom said: “It’s so important to have community spaces like this, especially at a time when some people feel disconnected in the areas they live in.

“These rooms give us the chance to help build everyday connections in the heart of our community by providing local groups with a place to come together. We’re excited to see how they will make them their own.”

The rooms are already being put to good use. At Perry Barr, a local knitting group is being formed, while coffee mornings are planned across various branches. Shrewsbury branch is due to welcome a local cricket club for its monthly meeting, and Tipton is preparing for a children’s activity session.

Heather Hazley, Head of Distribution at West Brom Building Society, said: “We’re happy to offer our facilities as a free meeting place for our communities, where hopefully we can help make a real difference in bringing people together in our heartlands.

“The idea to create the rooms came from recognising that many branches had unused space that could be transformed into something more welcoming and useful to the community. That’s why we’ve turned these rooms into comfortable areas, with everything needed to host a session or just to get together over a cup of tea.”

The community spaces can be booked free of charge inside the branches at Perry Barr, Kingstanding, Shrewsbury, Tipton and Bearwood.