The King's Award
Celebrating excellence in sustainable business practices
Unity Trust Bank is honoured to have received the prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development in May 2024. We were delighted to welcome the Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands to our Birmingham headquarters to formally present the award.
This national honour recognises organisations that are leading the way with innovative products and services, championing social mobility, and demonstrating exceptional commitment to sustainable development.
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For us, the award is both a milestone and a platform, a chance to highlight the impact of our sustainable initiatives and to inspire others to pursue positive change.
As an ethical bank driven by a ‘double bottom line’, we are committed to delivering meaningful social impact alongside commercial success. This recognition strengthens our determination to grow responsibly, deepen our contribution to the communities we serve, and continue building a fairer, more sustainable future.
What the award means for our customers
The King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development is a powerful endorsement of the values our customers expect from us. It demonstrates that an independent, national body has recognised us for operating responsibly, ethically and with long‑term sustainability at our core.
For our customers, it means they can feel confident that their money is supporting a bank that puts people and the planet first. It reinforces that we are committed to transparent, responsible banking, and that the positive impact we create in communities is not just a promise but a proven part of how we work.
This recognition strengthens our commitment to delivering meaningful social value, supporting organisations that drive change, and ensuring our growth continues to benefit the communities we serve.
It’s an honour to receive the King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development. It recognises how we support socially-minded organisations across the UK and improve the lives of local communities. It’s particularly special to receive this award in the same week that we marked Unity’s 40th anniversary.
We are an ethical bank committed to a ‘double bottom line’ of delivering positive impact and commercial success. We’re so proud that our work in sustainable development has been recognised in this way.
We believe our approach to supporting our customers to achieve their commercial and sustainability goals can play a crucial role in addressing key social, economic and environmental needs. We help to deliver real change where it is needed most.
Colin Fife, Chief Executive Officer
The King’s Awards for Enterprise
The King’s Awards for Enterprise was previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise. It was renamed to reflect His Majesty The King’s desire to continue the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II’s recognition of outstanding UK businesses. The awards were first established in 1965 and since then over 7,000 companies have achieved a King’s Award.
Unity began with the trade union movement in 1984 to serve the common good. We reported a record level of lending in its end of year results in 2023. This exceeded £1 billion for the first time and growing 21% from the previous year. Over 45.3% of financing went into areas of high deprivation.
Join a Bank Recognised at the Highest Level for Social Impact 
The King’s Award for Enterprise: Promoting Opportunity celebrates our commitment to creating lasting social and economic impact. If you want your organisation’s money to work responsibly and transparently, we’re here to support you.