Catalogue description Records of the Co-operative Permanent Building Society-Nationwide Building Society

This collection contains the records of the Co-operative Building Society, later the Nationwide Building Society. The records includes foundation documents; governance and management records; marketing and advertising records; staff records and a small collection of savings boxes.

Co-operative Permanent Building Society - Nationwide Building Society

Majority of records are open for viewing. More modern records are subject to restrictions

The collection derives from the Building Society itself, with some accessions from members of staff and members.

Accruals are expected to this collection

The Co-operative Permanent Building Society (CPBS) began life in South London as the Southern Co-operative Permanent Building Society. It soon changed its name to the CPBS and offered its services through a network of agents throughout the UK. From the 1920s onwards it expanded by growing its branch network and by amalgamation with other building societies. In 1970 it changed its name to Nationwide. In 1987 it merged with the Anglia Building Society and began offering current accounts. In 1992 the head office moved from London to Swindon, where it is still headquartered. After fighting off attempts to force it to convert to a bank in the 1990s, it survived the financial crisis of 2007-9 unscathed and merged with the Portman, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Dunfermline Building Societies during this period.