The Borrowers

We step inside what could be considered the most secretive room in Northern Ireland – the credit union loan office. Beauty therapist Erin tells loan officer Charles about her hellish year and terrible luck with cars – right before asking for a loan for a new one! Meanwhile in Warrenpoint, Brendan is hoping to add to the smallest distillery in Ireland, with a few more casks to help him make even more whiskey, gin and poitín. He even brings in a brand new flavour for Louise to taste – but she’ll take no bribes. Back at the Ballymena Causeway branch, Charles’s close friend Mark pops in to apply for a loan to pay for eye surgery. And loan officer Shannon gets more than she bargained for when Kevin, who needs a loan to expand his booming gym, has her exercising in the office.

We’re back in the credit union where the staff deal with all sorts of requests, and this week is no different. In Warrenpoint, entrepreneur Thomas wants a whopper of a loan for a business extension. He might have a successful business, but loan officer Louise still needs to tally everything up before she can say yes. The Ballymena Causeway branch is used to handling a variety of requests, but this week it seems to be all about a new set of wheels. Jimmy from Cullybackey is in for a loan to buy a new car, while Pamela owns a restaurant and when the pandemic hit, she began to deliver meals on wheels. So she wants a loan to buy a shiny new van. Back in Warrenpoint, teacher Nigel wants a new stove to keep those cold nights at bay, and former teacher Jacqueline is now a successful artist, and needs a loan to expand her work into homeware.

Increasingly Credit Unions offer business loans to help the nation’s entrepreneurs succeed, especially after a year that has seen many industries suffer. In WBR Credit Union, Laura tells loan officer Mark about her events business, established just before the pandemic, and so she had to stop before she really got started. She’s wracked her brain for an inspiring idea, but will Laura’s plan bowl Mark over? Natasha has been doing online fitness videos during lockdown, and needs a bit more space, so shows off some of her moves to convince Louise to accept her loan request. In Ballymena, Neil needs a small personal loan to pay off some bills, but it’s his story that really strikes loan officer Shannon. And Niamh wants to expand the stock in her shop, so comes to the Credit Union for a bit of help.