We are extremely proud of all our colleagues and all that they do. View more colleague stories below which include:
- Josie’s twin mums support group
- Janet supporting the change and check campaign
- Chelsea’s latest qualification
Leighton Buzzard Twin Mums support group
I set up the Leighton Buzzard Twin Mums support group in 2023, when my twins were still tiny.
Adjusting to twin-mum life is hard. Not just for having double the babies you planned, but twin pregnancy/birth comes with lots of complications, and often involve lengthy hospital/NICU stays for families. We were very lucky and were home within a week, but for many families it can be weeks or months of hospital stays.
It’s no surprise then, that mums of multiples (twins, triplets or more) have a much higher risk of developing postnatal depression & other postpartum complications. I realised that whilst we have the usual professional support from midwives/health visitors/Doctors, we often also need practical support or understanding from others who are in the same situation (not just unhelpful comments like ‘double trouble’ or ‘I don’t know how you do it’).
There are lots of baby groups in most towns, but very few cater for twins. It’s hard enough to get out (logistically), but most groups then charge ‘per child’ so twin families pay double but don’t receive double maternity pay.
We meet monthly on a Monday. I rock up with my twins, playmats and toys. The library theatre opens their bar for tea/coffee, and we hold babies, play with toddlers, chat to parents, and dish out snacks (lots of toddler twins descend as soon as any packet is opened – it’s like feeding time at the zoo).
I also work with the local health visitors and give them the dates of our meetings, and they send expectant/new twin mums to me if they want support or to meet other mums in similar positions.
We have pregnant mums and partners come as they have lots of questions – the most common being ‘what do you do when they are both screaming at the same time?’. The trick is honestly just tend to whichever one is crying the loudest first and invest in some earplugs!
It’s so rewarding to help others, particularly those who are struggling and just need a bit of support from someone who has been there/is still there.
Josie Gibbons
Senior Underwriter
Behind the scenes for the Change and Check Campaign
In October I went behind the scenes at the ITV studios on the Lorraine show with Marti Pellow for the launch of the Check and Change campaign releasing the single ‘Love is all around’ with the Change & Check choir of ladies who have suffered from breast cancer, raising money/awareness for the Future Dreams breast cancer charity.
We then went to Piccadilly Circus with Marti to film the tour bus going past when the film was being shown on the big screen as Marti was going on tour up the country visiting hospitals, offices and even visiting the Coronation Street set, promoting the single.
It was a lovely day, and I met some fantastic and inspiring people.
Janet Sheehan
Senior Mortgage Administrator
Congratulations to Cheslea!
A massive congratulations to our Telephone Business Development Manager Chelsea Pordage who recently passed her CeRER (Certificate in Regulated Equity Release). A totally deserved achievement after a huge amount of hard work. Another string to an ever-increasing bow.
All of us here at HBS are very proud of you!
Take a look at the full Issue 4 of Mutual here.
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JAN 10, 2025
Charity Walks
Team Harpenden Building Society - Great Big Walk for Herts 2024 Our colleagues Emma Brown, King Wan and Amanda Andrews dusted down their walking boots and took part in the Great Big Walk for Herts on the 28th September. Our team were 3 out of 23 participants altogether and what started out to be a planned 13 mile route, soon ended up being a very tough 16 miles due to recent flooding in fields. A few detours were needed, luckily the weather on the day played its part as it was a beautiful sunny day. Our team managed to complete the challenge and raised a total of £725 for Hertfordshire Mind Network. The amount raised has been included in the grand total of £4,241 raised so far on behalf of the entire day’s 23 participants. All these funds will go towards a great cause helping so many children currently experiencing mental ill health in Hertfordshire. Hertfordshire Mind Network work across Hertfordshire to support positive mental health and wellbeing. They provide a diverse range of services from their eight Wellbeing Centres and other venues across the county. Funded locally, their services are available to all residents in Hertfordshire aged 18+ and they offer dedicated services for 5-18 year-olds. Their aim is to make sure that no-one has to face a mental health problem alone. They are a local ‘Mind’, affiliated to national Mind, the leading mental health charity in England and Wales, and also Harpenden Building Society’s chosen charity of the year for 2024. This means they are an independent charity responsible for raising their own funds through contracts, grants and fundraising. Thames Bridge Walk for Mind On the 14th of September 2024 Isabel Hare and Estelle Head from our Leighton Buzzard branch took part in the Thames Bridge Trek 10K in aid of our chosen charity of the year, Mind, joining over 2000 participants. On the same day there was also a 25K walk which took in more of the sites of London. The walk, which was 10.57km took place on a beautiful sunny day, starting at The Oval cricket ground. The walk took our team along both sides of the River Thames taking in sights such as Big Ben and the Tower of London, and it took approximately 2.5 hours to complete. As well as walking the South Bank in its entirety, the walk also took in the Millennium Bridge, Southwark Bridge, London Bridge and Tower Bridge, finishing at Southwark Park with a picnic lunch and a medal for everyone’s efforts. With the generosity of our Harpenden colleagues, friends, and family, our team were able to raise an amazing £430 for Mind. It was a great experience, and our team would highly recommend the event to everyone. For more info on this event and others like it, you can visit their website www.ultrachallenge.com. View as a PDF Take a look at the full Issue 4 of Mutual here.
JAN 10, 2025
QR codes – avoid a scam
QR (Quick Response) codes are like barcodes. When we scan them with a mobile phone camera, a link to the information they hold appears. Whilst providing us with a quick and easy way to access information, not all of them are secure. Cyber criminals can use QR codes to steal personal and bank details.
JAN 10, 2025
Protecting yourself from email phishing
Email phishing is a method in which the scammer sends an email pretending to be a person, company or trusted site in order to steal passwords or sensitive information. Scam emails can become spam or junk and may also have a link or file attached for you to click on or open. Opening these links or downloading the files may harm your device.
JAN 10, 2025
Harpenden Rugby Club
Harpenden Rugby Club has been a part of the community for 105 years, moving to its current location, Redbourn Lane, in 1964. Although participation in rugby has declined in recent years, HRFC still manages to put out 3 senior men’s teams, a senior women’s team a week and has a large vibrant junior and minis section covering all ages and abilities which bodes well for a great future.
JAN 10, 2025
Recording at Abbey Road Studios
Recording at Abbey Road Studios Since booking my taster session with my local Rock Choir last September, I’ve been hooked. I signed up on the spot, and since then, singing with the choir has opened up incredible opportunities to perform at local events, from the Watford Winterfest and Kings Langley Carnival to the Herts County Show. We’ve even performed further afield at the historic Audley End House and participated in a flash mob at London’s St. Pancras Station. But without a doubt, the most exciting opportunity that felt like a dream come true, was the chance to record at Abbey Road Studios. Stepping into Abbey Road was surreal. We began by crossing the iconic zebra crossing, where the Beatles famously posed for their Abbey Road album cover. Once inside, we were treated like guests of honour, surrounded by memorabilia from legendary artists and orchestras that had recorded in the same studios. The corridor walls were lined with photos of the Beatles, Adele, Oasis, Lulu, and more. The atmosphere was electric. We began our warm-up session in Studio 2, the room where countless classic albums were born. The studio’s famous staircase, leading up to the control room where Paul McCartney once posed, added to the awe. It was humbling to realize we were standing in the same space where some of the world’s greatest music had been created. We gathered around a grand piano, right in the middle of the room—an unforgettable spot that had also been used for filming scenes in the most recent Doctor Who. The acoustics were astounding; the sound filled the room, giving every note depth that made everything feel bigger and bolder. After a quick photo session and warming up our voices, we moved into the larger Studio 1. This is where orchestras recorded the epic Star Wars soundtracks. As we put on our recording headsets and heard the technicians' voices come through the control room, a hush fell over the group of nearly 200 excited singers who had been nervously chatting moments earlier. The moment had arrived. Our choir leader raised her arms in anticipation, the intro music played, and the big red "on-air" lights illuminated—this was real! We recorded several songs, starting with our main piece, "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane, accompanied by a live pianist, it was an emotional experience. I’ve included the recording here for you to enjoy, along with a montage of photos from our unforgettable day. We also recorded some of our more upbeat tracks with our Rock Choir backing tracks: "Green Green Grass" by George Ezra, "Loco in Acapulco", and "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N' Roses. Our day ended with a final photo op at the front entrance steps, and as I stood there, it felt like a “pinch me” moment— an experience that I would recommend to anyone. After all, how many people can say they’ve recorded at Abbey Road Studios? Now, it’s back to preparing for more performances: We will be entertaining tourists and Londoners in Trafalgar Square very soon. And if I’m one of the lucky ones chosen, next March I could be performing with the half-time show at the Saracens vs. Harlequins rugby Showdown at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium! Emma Brown Senior Compliance Officer View as a PDF Take a look at the full Issue 4 of Mutual here.
JAN 10, 2025
Member Story – Stephen
Thinking of everyday life, there will always be a need for an easy access account to help with emergencies. Emergencies crop up with car breakdowns, plumbing or boiler problems to name a few in the blink of an eye.
JAN 10, 2025
Jon’s Savings Blog – Building Societies and Mutualism
Demutualisation (where traditional Building Societies became Banks) gathered pace in the 1990’s, following earlier financial deregulation, and increasing competition within the Building Society’s traditional mortgage market. This led to mutuality, the core principle of a traditional building society, being widely regarded in some circles as outdated as they struggled to compete in a new environment being compromised by the size of their capital and rules regarding access to external sources of funding.