We are committed to helping employees build financial resilience through our workplace savings scheme, Chorus. Recently, we visited NSL, one of our valued employer partners, to speak to their staff about the benefits of Chorus. During our visit, we had the opportunity to catch up with Lynda Nutley, Social Value & Employee Relations Manager at NSL, who shared her experience with the scheme and how it has positively impacted employees.
How NSL Supports Employee Financial Wellbeing
NSL, part of Marston Holdings, provides parking enforcement services across Brighton. Recognising the financial challenges many employees face, NSL partnered with Wave Community Bank to offer Chorus—a free workplace savings and loans scheme that enables staff to save money and access affordable credit directly from their wages.
Lynda Nutley has been a strong advocate for the scheme since its introduction at NSL in 2013. She highlights how easy and effective it is for employees to set aside savings without even noticing, as deductions are made automatically from their salaries. Additionally, the ability to access ethical loans, with built-in savings features, has provided financial security and peace of mind for many employees.
One of the standout aspects of Chorus, as Lynda explains, is how it encourages responsible borrowing. Employees who take out a loan through Wave Community Bank also contribute to a savings pot, ensuring that once their loan is repaid, they have a financial cushion to help avoid future borrowing. This structure not only supports financial wellbeing but also fosters long-term financial independence.
Lynda’s own experience with the scheme exemplifies its benefits. By consistently saving without thinking about it, she was able to support her son with his mortgage deposit years later—a testament to the power of small, regular savings.
Watch the Testimonial
If you’re an employer looking for ways to enhance your staff’s financial wellbeing, NSL’s experience with Chorus showcases the positive impact a workplace savings scheme can have. Watch Lynda Nutley’s full testimonial below to learn more about how Chorus is making a difference.
Full Transcript of Lynda Nutley’s Testimonial
Hi, my name is Lynda Nutley. I am the Social Values and Employee Relations Manager for NSL Limited in Brighton, and we are responsible for the parking enforcement across the city.
I have had the credit union now since my son was 16. I became very—well, quite angry, actually—that he was able to sit on a computer and obtain a payday loan of £500 within 10 minutes with no checks or balances to see whether he was actually working, whether he could afford to repay, and I was quite shocked at how easy it was. It got me thinking that there has to be an answer to payday lenders. Working in HR as well, I was dealing with people who were having financial issues and were turning to payday lenders.
I did a bit of research, and I came across Wave Community Bank and had a chat with them and learned all about their workplace savings scheme, which has been fantastic. We have had a lot of employees sign up to it. What’s good about the scheme is that you agree to save an amount of money—whatever you can afford—and it’s taken directly from your wages, so you don’t see that money. What I find is, because you don’t see it, you don’t miss it.
Back in 2013, we introduced the credit union, and over the years, I’ve seen a lot of positive reactions from staff who have joined. For me personally, when I was promoting it back in 2013, I thought, well, I can’t promote this unless I’m part of it myself, so I signed up for an account and I saved straight from my salary—to the point where I actually really forgot it was there.
I just didn’t miss the money because I wasn’t seeing it, and then years later, my son was looking to get a mortgage and he was a bit short on his deposit. I thought, “Ah!” and I was able to help him out because I had this bundle of money that I’d saved with the credit union. I hadn’t missed it, and it was a really nice feeling that I could help my son out without having to scrape around finding that money myself.
This scheme is amazing, and one of the things I especially like about it is how it helps you manage money as well. If a colleague needs to borrow money and they go to the credit union, they do the normal checks, and if they’re able to lend you that money, what’s really good is that you agree to pay back a certain amount again through your payroll. But they take some of that and put it into a separate pot—a savings pot—and you can’t touch that savings pot until the loan is repaid. I’m guessing the idea behind that is that when you’ve paid your loan, you’ve got this nice savings pot and you don’t need to take out another loan. So, it really is helping people manage their finances and encouraging them to save. It’s been great for me, I’ve seen it be great for colleagues, and I can’t recommend it enough.