Jen moved to Bristol from London around three years ago and has several jobs in the city. She mostly supports vulnerable adults, including some with learning difficulties at St Werburghs City Farm and Brandon Trust, as well of survivors of slavery with Unseen.

Jen volunteers with many organisations across the local area, including Herbalists Without Borders, St Peter’s Hospice and Project MAMA. She’s also a passionate supporter of environmental and social justice and has joined Extinction Rebellion (XR) - gluing herself to the London Stock Exchange as part of the protests earlier this year to raise awareness of the funding going into climate and ecological decimation.

Jen has two current accounts with Triodos Bank. One is for her own personal use, the other is an account that she manages her house bills from, as she lives with three other likeminded professionals in a house share.

Jen at St Werburghs City Farm

Why it is important to you that your bank aligns with your values?

The financial sector is so complicit in the problems we’re facing right now, and it’s always been focused on profit over planet. We’re in an emergency situation. We need to subvert and rethink the norm. It’s important to me that the money I earn is making a positive change in the world – especially avoiding investments in fossil fuels, arms and animal testing. With Triodos, I know that my money has a positive social and environmental impact.

Why did you choose a Triodos personal current account?

I always wanted to have an ethical bank account and came across Triodos after searching online. I rarely have savings, so I kept looking periodically over the years until the personal current account launched in 2017 and was among one of the first account holders. I’ve found that overdraft charges can be very unfair, so have been particularly pleased with the Triodos approach around fair fees and charges.

Would you recommend the account?

I’m always encouraging people to switch to Triodos and couldn’t recommend the account highly enough. Any problems are always resolved really quickly, and the app is really good and user-friendly too. There’s also a very helpful and friendly person on the end of the phone, if you need to talk to someone about your account.

What sectors in society would you most like your money to support?

I’m passionate about supporting asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable adults, so I’d like my money to fund these kinds of projects. Similarly, social inclusion projects and food producers who are growing local, organic and seasonal produce are very important to me.

Are there any other causes that you’re passionate about?

I've been involved in the Extinction Rebellion movements since its formation last year.  During the protests in London recently, I was one of the activists who glued myself to the London Stock Exchange. This was to highlight the mainstream financial sectors complicit in our environmental, societal and economic collapse. I strongly believe that direct action can be really powerful and transformative. If you’re looking for a way to get involved, but don’t know what to do, the first and easiest thing to do is divest your money. This is why I so strongly recommend and am such a proud customer of Triodos.

If you’re looking for a way to get involved, but don’t know what to do, the first and easiest thing to do is divest your money.

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