SCOTTISH BUILDING SOCIETY CEO Paul Denton has been recognised for his services to the banking and mortgage sector with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
The prestigious accolade was presented at a ceremony at the Scottish Mortgage Summit & Awards 2024, held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Edinburgh last week, which celebrated mortgage lenders and products across the country.
Paul first entered into the industry when he joined the Royal Bank of Scotland’s Forfar Branch following school in July 1988. From there he excelled in numerous roles, holding positions as Area Manager for West Fife and then Regional Manager for Aberdeen.
He then became Head of Sales for RBS and NatWest, before supporting the Coop Bank in 2013 following the financial crash.
In 2019 Paul joined Scottish Building Society, a mutual organisation run by and for its members, where he has led the organisation to almost double its balance sheet while delivering a personal approach to service at the same time.
Paul has also held roles across the wider industry, representing building societies and Scotland on the UK Finance Mortgage Board and the FCA Small Business Practitioner Panel, as well as being a Member of the Bank of England’s Scotland agency panel.
Paul Denton, CEO at Scottish Building Society, said: “I am incredibly proud to receive this recognition and it is truly humbling to take home the Lifetime Achievement Award. I’d like to thank everyone I have worked with over the years and those who have supported me throughout my career.
“I’ve been privileged to work alongside many dedicated professionals who share a commitment to helping people achieve their financial dreams, and this award is a testament to them also.
“I’d like to congratulate all of the winners and shortlisted entries at the Scottish Mortgage Summit & Awards who all contribute massively to creating a resilient mortgage sector in Scotland, and I am looking forward to supporting the industry further as we move forward.”
SCOTTISH BUILDING SOCIETY marked its Annual General Meeting (AGM) by announcing a new round of funding to aid local charities and good causes across the country.
The announcement at the AGM, held on Wednesday this week at The Trades House of Glasgow, Grand Hall, will see the Scottish Building Society Foundation award successful applicants with individual grants of up to £5,000 to help their cause.
Marking the third phase of funding from the Scottish Building Society Foundation, the initiative has donated just under £60,000 to local charities across Scotland since it began last year.
Scottish Building Society Foundation was established by Scottish Building Society in partnership with Foundation Scotland, with the initiative designed to give back to Scottish communities.
Launched in May 2023 to align with the organisation’s 175th anniversary, an incredible £175,000 will be granted to local charities and good causes across Scotland.
Paul Denton, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Building Society, said: “We were delighted to welcome our members to the AGM this year, and it seemed only right that we announce the latest round of funding for the Scottish Building Society Foundation, designed to support the fantastic causes which make a huge difference in their local areas.
“The creation of the Foundation has formalised our commitment to giving back to communities and through this initiative, in just over twelve months, the Society and its members have already supported good causes right across Scotland, from Wick to Galashiels.
“Since the Foundation began, we’re encouraged by the variety of inspiring community groups and charities across Scotland and look forward to seeing how they use the funding to make a positive impact to the people in their towns and villages.
“We hope the Scottish Building Society Foundation will make a big difference to many people across the country and we look forward to supporting more good causes in the years ahead.
“By investing in good causes, the Society and its members are building stronger communities.”
Applicable to a range of community groups and incentives, the Scottish Building Society Foundation particularly welcomes applications that support:
Community facilities and services, transport, open spaces, affordable housing, community development, reduction of poverty, and care for the elderly
Local community events
Youth and education, providing training opportunities and support for vulnerable youngsters
The first phase of funding attracted 44 applications from across 11 local authority areas of Scotland, with nine successful applicants chosen to receive individual grants of up to £5,000 to help their cause.
Meanwhile, the second phase of funding attracted 33 applications from across 11 local authority areas of Scotland.
Special event sees walking rugby clubs from across Scotland come together to play at the home of Edinburgh Rugby
Ex Scotland caps Jim Hamilton and Tim Visser played alongside six local teams
Former Edinburgh and Scotland winger, Tim Visser said: “It’s harder than it looks!”
Scottish Building Society hosted a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity for walking rugby teams across Scotland to play alongside Scottish rugby legends.
The seven-team event saw clubs from across Scotland come together to play a tournament celebrating rugby and how walking rugby allows everyone to keep fit regardless of their age or ability.
A team of Edinburgh Rugby Legends competed alongside, Ayr RFC, BATs, Kelso, Midlothian Uncoachables, Midlothian Unpickables and Murrayfield Wanderers in a celebration of rugby.
The Edinburgh Rugby legends team had past players such as Dave Denton, Andrew Easson, James King, Jim Hamilton, Lewis Niven, Conan Sharman, Hugo Southwell, Steven Turnbull, Tim Visser all playing alongside local teams from across Scotland.
Walking Rugby follows a similar format to traditional rugby except there is no sprinting, meaning passing accuracy and positioning are key.
It is a more accessible game as tackling is much lesser part of the game and requires greater tactical knowledge. The more social format of the game is growing in popularity because of its accessibility and social nature which is bringing people together from all backgrounds, age and abilities.
The festival was held on the pitches outside of BT Murrayfield, before Edinburgh’s home victory against Zebre.
“I loved that. It was great fun,” said Jim Hamilton, the former Edinburgh Rugby second-row turned podcaster and broadcaster.
“We don’t do it enough and everyone says the same thing. I joked with Hugo Southwell that we’ll do it again in ten years’ time and it’s one of those that you want to be out with your mates catching up and enjoying a laugh together.”
Walking rugby has found an audience of former and new to rugby players as a way to come together and keep fit, especially for older fans.
“It’s harder than it looks,” said former Edinburgh Rugby wing Tim Visser. “I was definitely out of breath a couple of times but I enjoyed it.”
Paul Denton, CEO, Scottish Building Society said: “Our sponsorship with Edinburgh Rugby is far more than the professional players on the pitch. It’s a great platform to work together on amazing community programs, like this Walking Rugby tournament, which makes a real difference to those who take part.
“Walking rugby is so important in supporting people to keep active and helping to get them out the house, whilst making a few friends along the way. It was great to meet the teams, and there was a real spirit of rugby, teamwork and friendship, which was brilliant to see.
“Scottish Building Society was proud to be a part of it. Walking rugby isn’t just about the actual game, it’s about embracing inclusivity, being sociable and building connections through a shared love of the sport.”
Local rugby club, The Boroughmuir Banshees, had a once in a lifetime opportunity to train with Scottish internationalist Pierre Schoeman.
The programme was launched by Scottish Building Society when it became the main club partner of Edinburgh Rugby and sees youth rugby teams apply for a training session with various rugby stars.
Held on Monday 6 May, the team were put through their paces by the loosehead prop alongside Glen Young, lock, Harri Morris, hooker and Sarah Denholm, fly half from Scotland and Edinburgh Rugby women’s team.
Training at Hive Stadium, they were joined by Howe of Fife under 18’s girls team, Muntly under 15’s boys club and Falkirk Rugby Club under 15’s for an incredible opportunity to train with their heroes.
Edinburgh Rugby and Scotland, prop, Pierre Schoeman said: “It was an incredible day out and it was great to see all the teams come along to Hive and give their all in the training sessions.
“There are a few players who I will need to keep my eye on in the coming years. This might be the first of many games they play here at Edinburgh!”
“I would like to thank Boroughmuir Banshees for all their effort and wish the girls all the best in their upcoming games”.
Paul Denton, chief executive, Scottish Building Society said:“When we first launched this programme back in 2022 we wanted to give youth teams a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience to train with rugby players who are at the top of their game.
“We have now held three sessions with 10 teams joining Edinburgh Rugby stars for an inspiration level of access to elite athletes that would otherwise not be possible.
“We at Scottish Building Society hope all four teams had a fantastic day and thank them and of course Pierre Schoeman and the rest of the Edinburgh Rugby players for hosting this session for us.”
Scottish Building Society hosted Scotland’s first inclusive rugby festival, with Edinburgh Rugby Inclusive Team (ERIT) being crowned the tournament’s first ever champion.
The event which saw nearly 100 participants from across Scotland compete from the four teams- Edinburgh Inclusive Rugby Team, Strathmore Clan, Fife Clan and Ayrshire Clan.
The round-robin tournament was played ahead of Edinburgh Rugby’s match with Scarlets in the BKT United Rugby Championship.
All players from the tournament took part in a lap of honour at half-time before the winning side was presented with a trophy by Scottish Building Society, Chief Executive Officer, Paul Denton.
Inclusive Rugby involves both able-bodied players and those with a physical or learning disability, playing in one unified outfit.
It is hoped the Scottish Building Society Festival will encourage others to get involved in rugby, showing regardless of ability, there is room for everyone in this sport.
Mr Denton said: “Our partnership with Edinburgh Rugby is about far more than the professional players on the pitch. Rugby is a sport for everyone and using our platform we wanted to create opportunities to make the game more accessible and inspire others to get involved.
“It was an honour to meet the teams and seeing the players come together with such a great display of community and teamwork is truly inspiring. I hope this tournament encourages people to look at rugby differently, inspires people to get involved in this great sport.”
Edinburgh Rugby, managing director, Douglas Struth added: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have hosted the Scottish Building Society Inclusive Festival ahead of our game against Scarlets.
“It kicked off our ‘Family Fest’ match night in style and it was a special moment to see the players all join in for the lap of honour at half time.
“With four teams and nearly 100 players involved the festival of rugby and togetherness, that celebrates everything good about the game we love.”
SCOTTISH Building Society has doubled down on its commitment to offering Edinburgh customers passbook accounts, in a bid to support them with their financial needs.
With more than 67 percent of Scottish Building Society members across Edinburgh holding a passbook, they will continue to have access to the account, which can play a crucial role in helping them to manage their finances.
The move comes after several major banks across the UK announced they would be removing passbooks, which provide a paper record of banking transactions, from their services.
Recently Virgin Money announced it would remove passbook savings accounts, resulting in 100,000 customers across the UK being told they will no longer be able to use them to pay in or withdraw cash in person.
Despite several banks now no longer offering the service, Scottish Building Society believes passbooks still have an important role to play in helping customers manage their finances.
Feeling reassured by physical evidence of how much they hold in their accounts many customers prefer to bank this way to manage their finances.
The rise in the cost-of-living crisis has prompted many people to revert back to using physical money in a bid to help them budget, with passbook savings accounts serving as a valuable tool in helping them to manage this.
Removing this service alongside many local branches closing risks leaving many customers feeling alone, particularly during this economic climate Scottish Building Society warned.
Scottish Building Society has made significant investment in its high street branches to provide accessible banking for all and enhance its physical presence in communities, with the society most recently opening a new relationship centre in Edinburgh in June last year.
Meanwhile, as part of its 175th anniversary celebrations, the building society launched the Scottish Building Society Foundation in May last year, an initiative designed to give back to Scottish communities with an incredible £175,000 designated to local charities and good causes across Scotland.
Paul Denton, CEO at Scottish Building Society, said: “As a mutual organisation owned by and run for the benefit of our members, we want to make sure we are providing customers with everything they need to manage their finances in a way which is easy for them and stress free.
“While online services are the main stay for a lot of customers, there is a large portion of people who are not confident in using online banking or simply don’t want to, and they can rightly feel aggrieved that they are facing the prospect of having to do so.
“At Scottish Building Society our purpose is to serve the local community, and this is why we will continue to offer passbooks as a vital tool for customers, as well as investing in our branches to provide accessible, in-person facilities which will serve their local communities. Simply put, we want to ensure our members have choice when it comes to managing their finances, and we believe in offering them that.”
Lisa McKay, Edinburgh Relationship Manager, Scottish Building Society, said: “”At Scottish Building Society we understand how important it is for members to have options, which works for them, for managing their finances. For many, this means having a physical passbook which helps them keep up to date on their accounts.
“Our passbook savings accounts can be a really useful tool in this regard and that’s why we are committed to continuing them. If you are interested in learning more about how passbook savings accounts, please give us a call or visit your local branch and we will be happy to support.”
SCOTTISH Building Society has doubled down on its commitment to offering its customers passbook accounts in a bid to support them with their financial needs.
The move comes after several major banks across the UK announced they would be removing passbooks, which provide a paper record of banking transactions, from their services.
Recently Virgin Money announced it would remove passbook savings accounts, resulting in 100,000 customers across the UK being told they will no longer be able to use them to pay in or withdraw cash in person.
Despite several banks now no longer offering the service, Scottish Building Society believes passbooks still have an important role to play in helping customers manage their finances.
Feeling reassured by physical evidence of how much they hold in their accounts many customers prefer to bank this way to manage their finances.
The rise in the cost-of-living crisis has prompted many people to revert back to using physical money in a bid to help them budget, with passbook savings accounts serving as a valuable tool in helping them to manage this.
Removing this service alongside many local branches closing risks leaving many customers feeling alone, particularly during this economic climate Scottish Building Society warned.
Scottish Building Society has made significant investment in its high street branches to provide accessible banking for all and enhance its physical presence in communities, with the society most recently opening a new relationship centre in Edinburgh in June last year.
Meanwhile, as part of its 175th anniversary celebrations, the building society launched the Scottish Building Society Foundation in May last year, an initiative designed to give back to Scottish communities with an incredible £175,000 designated to local charities and good causes across Scotland.
Paul Denton, CEO at Scottish Building Society, said: “As a mutual organisation owned by and run for the benefit of our members, we want to make sure we are providing customers with everything they need to manage their finances in a way which is easy for them and stress free.
“While online services are the main stay for a lot of customers, there is a large portion of people who are not confident in using online banking or simply don’t want to, and they can rightly feel aggrieved that they are facing the prospect of having to do so.
“At Scottish Building Society our purpose is to serve the local community, and this is why we will continue to offer passbooks as a vital tool for customers, as well as investing in our branches to provide accessible, in-person facilities which will serve their local communities.
“Simply put, we want to ensure our members have choice when it comes to managing their finances, and we believe in offering them that.”
A partnership between Scottish Building Society and Edinburgh Rugby to help school children learn maths and get active outdoors has hit a landmark target.
175 school kids have now gone through the ‘Tackle Maths’ programme.
It helps school pupils aged between 8-12 years-old gain practical maths skills by using rugby and real-life examples to show just how important maths is in everyday life.
From measuring the length and breadth of the pitch, working out the capacity of the stadium and estimating the height of the posts, all mathematical challenges have been designed to encourage pupils to think about maths lessons in a different way.
Launched by Scottish World Cup hero Blair Kinghorn, the programme helps to show children that maths skills can be learned and utilised in many different ways.
Paul Denton, Chief Executive, Scottish Building Society said:“When we started this programme our aim was also to help at least 175 children to see maths can actually be fun.
“We are delighted to have achieved this ahead of schedule and look forward to getting even more kids involved.
“Having a practical learning environment coupled with a rugby professional showing pupils how they use maths and why it is important gives them a different perspective of learning and inspires.
“As the main club partner of Edinburgh Rugby, we want to utilise our position to give back to communities and Tackle Maths has proven to be one of the most impactful programmes we have ever run.
“This is a fantastic achievement and I hope it will continue to inspire kids to think differently about learning, both in and out of the classroom
Douglas Struth, Managing Director, Edinburgh Rugby said: “Edinburgh Rugby is at its heart a community rugby club – working in partnership with Scottish Building Society to deliver this programme to over 175 school kids is a fantastic achievement for both organisations.
“This programme is all about getting kids out of the classroom and learning in a practical manner. Inspiring and promoting learning is values both organisations share so it is very encouraging to see it take off so successful in its first full year.”
The first ever Scottish Building Society Festival took place this weekend with over 100 players competing in the event which celebrates inclusive rugby.
The festival brought together five clubs from across Scotland to play in a tournament, for all ages and abilities.
Edinburgh Inclusive Rugby Team, Fife Clan, Borders Clan, Strathmore Clan and Ayrshire Clan all played in a round-robin tournament.
Inclusive Rugby involves both able bodied players and those with a physical or learning disability, playing in one unified outfit.
Scottish Building Society, as the primary partner of Edinburgh Rugby, hosted the festival at Hive Stadium with the players also being invited along to the Edinburgh Rugby v Connacht match that same evening.
Paul Denton, CEO of Scottish Building Society said: “When we became the main partners with Edinburgh Rugby, we wanted to use our platform to create more opportunities for people to get involved in rugby.
“The festival was born from this value, and it was incredibly encouraging to have over 100 players come along and play in our first festival celebrating inclusive rugby.
“Rugby is a sport for everyone and using our platform we want to create more opportunities to make the game more accessible and inspire more people to get involved.
“Our hope is that people see this festival and for next year we can get even more players along to celebrate inclusiveness and the sport we love.”
Edinburgh Rugby Community Manager, Ruaridh Pye said: “It was a hugely inspiring day hosting the first ever Scottish Building Society Festival here at Hive Stadium.
“Five clubs from across Scotland coming together to celebrate what rugby means is very special and we hope it will inspire those interested in rugby that this is truly a sport for everyone.
“It was such a heartwarming day, and having the players come out at half time of our match against Connacht and receive the cheers from the crowd was a special moment.”
Edinburgh Rugby and Scotland star Darcy Graham presented Hawick Ambulance Station with a donation of £500 and a signed match jersey to thank the hero Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) staff who saved his brother’s life after a horror crash.
Aged 17 at the time, Clark Graham was involved in an accident near the village of Ashkirk in the Borders, north of Hawick, which left him in a coma for three-and-a-half weeks.
Graham, who is now preparing for the Rugby World Cup in France, previously donated £500 to the Hawick station – donated on behalf of the club’s sponsors Scottish Building Society – after winning the team’s Player of The Month last September.
He was once again chosen as Edinburgh’s April’s Player of the Month this year and chose the ambulance service as the beneficiary.
Graham visited Hawick Ambulance Station on Thursday (May 18) to thank Gary Brown, Hawick-based Paramedic, and Jenny Braithwaite, Paramedic who is based in Melrose, who was working at Hawick at the time.
After the call was taken by Iona Walker, Gary and Jenny (pictured with Darcy) were the first crew on scene and rushed Clark to Borders General Hospital, fearing the worst.
Graham said: “It means so much to me and my family. Without the Scottish Ambulance Service and what they did that night at Clark’s accident, he wouldn’t be here, so it’s an easy one for us to give back to them to just kind of say thank you. The quick decisions they made that night thankfully saved Clark’s life.
“It was very emotional meeting the crew. It’s kind of hard to put into words what to say to them. It’s an easy one to for me to pick. It’s not just my family they’ve helped, it’s so many other people’s families and lives they’ve saved from them just doing their job.
“Day to day, it’s what they are here for and we kind of take it for granted almost. Having the ambulance service, having the NHS, everything, we are very lucky to have these services just on a phone call.”
Brown, who has been with the Scottish Ambulance Service for 14 years, said it was “fantastic” of Darcy to donate to SAS, and added: “It was great to meet Darcy and hopefully we can meet Clark soon. The money will be donated to the station, so it will stay in Hawick.”
He said the money will directly benefit the patients the ambulance service attends to.
Speaking of the accident, Brown said: “I remembered it had started snowing that night and there was a light covering over the road. We were the first crew on scene and quite clearly the car Clark had been driving had gone through two fences and into a tree.”
Brown was the first to inspect the vehicle, and after seeing the wreckage of the car – which had suffered “massive damage – feared the worst for who was inside. He added: “Clark was unconscious and obviously very, very ill.”
After assessing the scene, Gary and Jenny realised he needed to be transferred to hospital immediately. Clark was initially taken to Borders General Hospital, before being transferred to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Gary said after he was handed into the care of hospital clinicians, he didn’t think would make it.
Two additional crews staffed by Susan Angus, Technician, and Lee Myers, Paramedic, both of Melrose Station, and Suzanne Little, Advanced Paramedic at Melrose, and Mark Neil, Practice Placement Educator. Malcolm Landells and Rhona Dunn from SAS’s SORT East team were also sent along with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to the scene of the accident. A second passenger, less critical than Clark, also required medical treatment.
Scottish Building Society has donated over £7000 the past two seasons to a range of causes, and Graham said it was great to see first-hand the staff who will benefit and how it will help the community and patient care. The money will used for patient care and is determined by the staff on how it is best spent to help the community.
Paul Denton, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Building Society added: “We’re very proud to donate to Scottish Ambulance Service in Hawick for the second time.
“It’s a charity which we know is very close to Darcy’s heart, and we are very aware of the lifesaving work they do across the Borders. It’s great to have their work highlighted and supported in this way.”
