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Community & culture

How NatWest Group’s Scotland Board is backing Scottish people, businesses and growth

Our Regional Board network is a vital way in which we deliver the bank’s strategy at a local level. Here we talk to Judith Cruickshank, Chair of the Scotland Board, about the support they’re providing to their customers, businesses and communities. 

Tell us about the region the board covers?

Since our foundation in 1727, the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has been supporting the Scottish economy and helping Scottish people and businesses manage their finances. Today, we bank around one in three businesses, one in five people, and one in seven mortgages.

We’re one of the largest private sector employers in Scotland, with over 10,000 colleagues based in hubs in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Greenock, and staff supporting customers across Scotland’s towns, cities, and islands.

In 2025, our commitment to the people, families, and businesses who call Scotland home remains as strong as ever. We support our customers and the Scottish economy by removing barriers to enterprise and championing a diversity of businesses, from start-ups to large corporates.

From Lerwick to Lockerbie, our branch network, mobile branches, banking hubs, and face-to-face relationship managers support customers in key sectors of the Scottish economy, including agriculture, hospitality and leisure, and food and drink.  

 

What are the unique ways the board helps support local business and the regional economy?

The Scotland Board is one of seven across the UK that looks to deliver the bank’s strategy at a local level. The Board works to support and serve our customers, communities, and colleagues across Scotland, using local knowledge and convening power to create networks and connections that allow us to listen to and be led by our customers’ needs.

Our key priorities are delivered through the Board, together with Local Collaboration Hubs (comprised of a diverse cross-section of teams from the bank) and Employee-Led Networks. The Board is made up of a range of senior leaders from across our customer-facing businesses and group functions to foster a culture of collaboration and engagement, working towards good outcomes for colleagues, customers, and communities.

We also have two Accelerator hubs in Scotland – one in Edinburgh and one in Glasgow – supporting a wide variety of entrepreneurs across the country to grow and scale their businesses. The Board regularly interacts with entrepreneurs on the Accelerator programme, facilitating roundtable sessions on themed discussions (from AI to sector-specific interests) or with senior leaders. We aim to facilitate introductions and support wherever possible to help these businesses scale sustainably.

 

How is the board bringing us closer to our customers?

Each year, the Board produces a strategic activity plan. This drives activities that serve to build local knowledge and connections to understand the different needs and experiences of customers and communities across Scotland. We regularly take the Scotland Board ‘on the road’ – visiting our colleagues, customers, and communities in local Collaboration Hub Areas. In 2025, we’ve already visited teams in the Northeast (Aberdeen) and supported the team in North & Highlands to officially open the new RBS flagship city-centre branch in Inverness.

Financial Foundations has been one of the Board’s standout initiatives throughout 2025. Focusing on financial capability for adults, we have engaged widely across the bank to deliver workshops to customers in both Retail and Commercial & Institutional business segments. It’s also a great example of colleagues from different parts of the bank coming together to deliver those sessions. So far, we have provided around 150 workshops, reaching over 1,500 people, while training around 100 facilitators in Scotland.

The bank’s partnership with the Royal Highland Show is another key way in which we connect with customers and engage with a vital sector of the Scottish economy. We’re longstanding partners of the show (since 1981), and each year we have a significant number of bank colleagues volunteering, handing out prizes, raising funds for charitable organisations, and, of course, hosting customers and stakeholders at our flagship supper party. We also have a strong branch team on-site across all four days of the show, providing vital banking and support services to attendees.

The Royal Bank of Scotland is also the headline partner of the Highlands and Islands Thistle Awards – an annual event that celebrates the best of the region’s tourism and hospitality industry. Additionally, RBS supports Scottish EDGE, a competition designed to identify and nurture Scotland's most innovative start-ups. This partnership underscores RBS's dedication to fostering economic growth and empowering the next generation of Scottish businesses. Meanwhile, as the strategic partner to FinTech Scotland (since 2018), the bank aims to help secure Scotland’s place as a global fintech centre.

 

What impact has the board had on its regional community?

Supporting regional communities is essential for fostering resilience, enhancing well-being, and promoting social cohesion. Initiatives that contribute to this create tangible impacts that uplift local populations, enable grassroots organisations, and strengthen community ties.

One notable example of our commitment to regional support is the £160,000 donation to grassroots charities in Scotland via the Helping Hand fund. This funding empowers local organisations to address pressing social issues, directly benefiting those in need. By investing in grassroots initiatives, we ensure that resources are directed towards the specific needs of the community, promoting self-sufficiency and sustainability.

Elsewhere, our efforts to raise £50,000 for Marie Curie during our 2024 ‘One Week in September’ event underscore our dedication to health and hospice care, allowing patients and families facing terminal illness to receive the support and services they deserve. This initiative not only raises funds but also raises awareness about the importance of compassionate care in our communities.

Looking ahead, we are well on our way to meeting our target of raising £100,000 for Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) throughout 2025, which includes contributions from One Week in September. Supporting CHAS helps provide essential care for children with life-limiting conditions and offers families in Scotland the support they need during challenging times.

Furthermore, we are committed to fostering dialogue and collaboration through our employee-led networks (ELN) in Scotland, which facilitates regular two-way engagement with the Scotland Board and the Scotland ELN committees. This collaboration not only strengthens our initiatives but also ensures that the voices of local communities are heard and considered in decision-making processes.

Lastly, our support for Local Collaboration Hubs across eight locations in Scotland demonstrates our belief in the power of community-driven solutions. These hubs act as vital resource centres, bringing together local stakeholders to share knowledge, coordinate efforts, and collectively address community challenges.

 

What next for the board?

The board is committed to supporting our customers, communities, and businesses in Scotland through a series of innovative initiatives that address local needs and create opportunities. A key highlight is the planned ‘Board on the Road’ visit to Greenock in the second half of 2025, which will engage local stakeholders and foster collaboration.

The board is actively championing talent development programmes, such as RUN25, which aims to nurture the skills of graduates and apprentices across Scotland. Additionally, local careers events are being supported to ensure that young people are equipped with the knowledge and connections needed to thrive in today’s job market.

The board is also committed to enhancing financial capability among young people and customers through initiatives like Royal Bank Thrive and Financial Foundations. These programmes are designed to provide essential financial education, empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their financial futures.

The board's ongoing efforts in talent development, financial capability, and strategic collaboration reflect a forward-thinking commitment to the future of Scotland, ensuring that the region thrives in an evolving landscape. 

The material published on this page is for information purposes only and should not be regarded as providing any specific advice, or used by consumers to make financial decision. Terms and conditions apply to any products or services mentioned.

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