I am among many who know personally people who face hardship due to the impending closure of the Didsbury branch of Santander Bank. This is not just mechanistic financial restructuring; it carries very real and distressing impacts. The closure would lead to mass redundancies, disrupting countless lives. This branch is a fundamental part of our local and surrounding community. 

The Didsbury Santander branch is a busy hub of activity with queues routinely extending out the door, demonstrating substantial demand for its services. Given this, it is essential to question: why close a busy, much-needed bank?

Santander is set to close 95 branches across the UK. This is not just a local concern, but a national trend that needs to be addressed. Across the UK, according to the consumer group Which?,  banks  and building societies have already closed over 6,000 branches since January 2015 - an average of 53 per month.  The loss of another bank branch deeply threatens our community services, leaving us economically vulnerable and without necessary human interaction in an increasingly digitised world.

We urge Santander to consider the wide-ranging consequences of such closures for communities, employees, and customers alike. Act now – sign the petition and oppose the closure of Didsbury’s Santander branch before more people and communities are negatively affected.