Follow us on Twitter
Let's be friendsUniversity of York says goodbye to RBS on campus
York P&P students held a party outside their local RBS branch to celebrate their victory in kicking the bank off campus. RBS is Britain's biggest funder of fossil fuel extraction and York student persuaded their union to switch bank accounts.
Alex Green from York P&P writes:
York students hold a leaving party for RBS
Image © Alex Green
York student celebrating their victory
Image © Alex Green
University of York Students’ Union (YUSU) has switched its bank account from Natwest (owned by the RBS Group) to the Co-operative Bank after pressure from York People & Planet, and hard work on behalf of the Union’s Environment & Ethics Officers and student union Sabbaticals.
It’s been a long campaign; in March 2008, People & Planet members passed a UGM motion that mandated the union to move its accounts from Natwest to an alternative bank, if RBS didn’t improve their investment practices within a year. The long time-scale meant that we could increase the pressure already being put on RBS by the wider People & Planet network.
Time’s Up
Perhaps unsurprisingly, RBS made no change in their investments within the year. With the annual change in Union staff it took a bit of time to get the motion back on the agenda again; so York P&P came and demonstrated outside the Union building, calling for a move not just away from RBS, but to a genuinely ethical alternative.
It seems our message was heard, as on advice from the Union’s Environment & Ethics Officers, the Union had their trustees look into the soundness of the Co-operative Bank and approved it. The Union is now in the process of switching their account to the Coop!
So long, farewell!
To celebrate their departure and continue raising awareness about RBS’ investments in dirty fossil fuels, we staged a ‘goodbye to RBS’ party outside their branch in York. There was music, balloons, cake and party hats - as well as ‘leaving cards’ for the bank’s customers and staff. We urge other groups to give a campaign like this a go - we’ve found that it’s often a challenge to come up with engaging and effective campaigns that really feel like they’re making a tangible difference; and this one really feels like it does.
It’s been good for the morale of our group, and even better for the planet!
Contact York People & Planet peopleandplanet@yusu.org or contact office adam.ramsay@peopleandplanet.org if you’ve got any queries or would like support organising a similar event.
