Kudos for ‘CU Perks’

Cavan Credit Union was recently awarded Best Marketing Initiative at the 2026 All-Ireland Credit Union Awards, in recognition of its innovative CU Perks discount programme for students.

The initiative brings together student members and local businesses to offer exclusive discounts and benefits to student current account holders, while encouraging young people to shop and support local.

The idea came after identifying one of the Credit Union's biggest strategic challenges - attracting and engaging younger members in an increasingly competitive financial services market.

Through attending student open days, career fairs, financial literacy workshops and school events across Cavan in recent years, Hannah Daly (Marketing) and Niamh Guilfoyle (Operations) were regularly asked why students should choose Cavan Credit Union over banks, prompting the team to consider how they could offer young people something different while remaining true to the Credit Union ethos.

The impact of the CU Perks scheme has also translated into measurable growth. Student current account openings more than doubled (by 140%) between March and June 2026 compared to the same period last year.

It was also a proud evening for Cavan Credit Union's Risk & Compliance Manager, Evelyn Gray, who was shortlisted for the Credit Union Person of the Year award in recognition of her years of dedication and service to the credit union sector.