FEATURE
Review – GB Bank co-founder and CEO Stephen Lancaster looks back on a hugely successful first year .
Celebrating 365 days of banking brilliance : GB Bank one year on
YOU CAN BANK ON US
Stephen Lancaster , co-founder and chief executive officer at Middlesbroughbased GB Bank , looks back at an eventful first year as a fully licensed bank
We pride ourselves at GB Bank as being a very forward-thinking business , always looking to the future as we work to help the regeneration and growth of communities in Tees Valley and across the country .
However , there are times when it is beneficial to take a look back , particularly when you reach important milestones . This is definitely one of those times . It has now been one year since we officially launched GB Bank after receiving our full UK banking licence .
That in itself was a significant moment , as myself and the team had been working hard since 2017 to secure the banking licence and become the first ever bank to be headquartered in Middlesbrough .
While we continue to strive forward with our ambitious future growth plans , it ’ s important we reflect on our achievements so far .
Lending to build GB Bank is driven by its purpose – to build better futures for the communities across the UK who need it most . That ’ s why our key focus is to provide lending solutions to help bring much needed community developments to life .
The past year has brought a host of challenges to the realisation of this mission , not least the rising Bank of England base rate , the cost-of-living crisis and increasing construction costs .
However , we have been quick to meet these challenges and adapt to changes in the property sector , ensuring that our flexible and innovative finance provides real solutions for developers and investors at every stage of the property development life cycle and beyond .
For example , at the start of 2023 , we launched a range of long- and short-term residential and commercial funding solutions to help kick-start much needed community developments .
Combining this with our line-up of experienced relationship managers and cuttingedge technology has seen the demand for and popularity of our solutions grow over the past year , which is clearly evidenced in an increasing stock of future loans and continuing flow of successful loan drawdowns .
Lending enquiries have come in from every corner of the UK , with many from our heartland , the North-East .
100 | Tees Business