BANK w Southampton jest pierwszym w miescie, ktry zdecydowal sie na ulatwienie zycia Polakom chcacym skorzystac z jego uslug.

Wszystkie piec oddzialw banku Barclays' w miescie oferuje obecnie ulotki w jezyku polskim, majace na celu ulatwienie trudnego procesu zakladania konta w obcym kraju.

Julie Gough, menadzer w oddziale Barclays na Burgess Road, przyczynila sie do stworzenia bardziej sprzyjajacych warunkw dla klientw pochodzenia polskiego.

Julie, ktra pracuje dla Barclays od 28 lat, powiedziala Daily Echo: "Z tego co wiem, jestesmy pierwszym bankiem, ktry zdecydowal sie na taka inicjatywe w Southampton.

"To ulatwienie dla nich i dla nas, poniewaz mozemy udostepnic ulotke, ktra wyjasnia w jezyku polskim dokladnie jakie dokumenty sa potrzebne do zalozenia konta.

"Oprcz tego, jezeli sa w Wielkiej Brytanii krcej niz trzy miesiace, akceptujemy potwierdzenie adresu z Polski. Zwykle wymagamy potwierdzenia zamieszkania w UK."

W tym miesiacu zorganizowalismy specjalne spotkanie informacyjne na ulicy London Road, na ktrym byli obecni takze tlumacze.

Julie, ktrej narzeczony jest pochodzenia polskiego, dodatkowo uczy sie jezyka polskiego raz w tygodniu w Wyvern College w Fair Oak, co jeszcze bardziej pomaga jej przelamywac bariere z klientami.

Dave Adcock, pracujacy dla EU Welcome Project w Southampton, skomentowal: "Wiele osb prowadzacych wlasna dzialalnosc gospodarcza w Southampton mwi mi, ze zglasza sie do nich coraz wiecej polskich klientw.

"Ciesze sie, ze niektrzy z nich potrafia polaczyc interesy z odpowiedzialnoscia spoleczna, w celu ulatwienia zycia tym ludziom.

"Jestem pod wrazeniem banku Barclays i ich inicjatywy, ktra na pewno ulatwi dostep do uslug bankowych wielu Polakom, jednoczesnie dostarczajac Barclays wielu nowych klientw."

Aby dowiedziec sie czegos wiecej, nalezy skontaktowac sie z Julie w banku Barclays pod numerem telefonu 023 8053 2713.

City bank launches new Polish services

A BANK in Southampton has become the first in the city to make it easier for Polish people to gain access to their services.

All of Barclays' five city centre branches now have leaflets written in Polish to make the complicated process of setting up a bank account in a foreign country less of a headache.

A manager at the Barclays branch in Burgess Road, Julie Gough has been instrumental in making the bank more user-friendly for Polish people.

Julie, who has worked for Barclays for 28 years, told the Daily Echo: "As far as I am aware we are the first bank to do this in Southampton.

"This makes it easier for them and for us because we can provide them with a flyer in their own language explaining exactly what documentation they need.

"Also if they have been in the UK for less than three months, we will accept confirmation of their previous Polish address whereas normally we have to confirm an address in the UK."

A special Polish information session was held with translators present at the bank's London Road branch earlier this month.

Julie, who has a fianc of Polish descent, is also learning the language once a week at Wyvern College at Fair Oak which is helping her to break down the barriers even further.

Dave Adcock, of the EU Welcome Project in Southampton, said: "I meet a lot of business people in the city who say to me that they are getting more Polish customers.

"I'm pleased that some of these are seeing both the business sense and the social responsibility to make life as easy as possible for these people.

"I'm impressed by what Barclays have done which will make it easier for Polish people to access their services, and will give Barclays many new customers."

To find out more, contact Julie at Barclays on 023 8053 2713.