Ecology Building Society has appointed Lena Mitchell as its business development manager (BDM) for community and commercial mortgages.
Ecology Building Society said this would enable it to support more businesses and communities who want to obtain lending for sustainable housing developments.
Mitchell has worked in the UK banking sector for 24 years and held a number of senior BDM and relationship management positions.
At Ecology Building Society, she will focus on increasing its commercial lending, including the provision of mortgages for community-led housing, developers looking to build or renovate residential properties in a sustainable manner to sell, and businesses that support the environment or deliver sustainable benefits to the economy and local communities.
The mutual focuses on “impact-led lending” and has previously issued mortgages to housing co-operatives, housing associations, cohousing groups, Community Land Trusts and other community-led projects, as well as lending to sustainable businesses, housing developers, charities and community groups.
Mitchell said: “I’m delighted to join Ecology Building Society at such an important time, when supporting more communities and organisations that have a positive environmental and social impact has never been more vital.
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“As a business that prides itself in taking a tailored and considered approach to lending, I’m excited to be working with Ecology to help unlock finance for green and ethical projects that may otherwise not have been realised. I’m looking forward to working with new and existing commercial customers in this space and building on the wonderful work the society has done for many years as an ethical lender.”
For the year ending 2023, the mutual’s net lending came to £64.6m, lower than the previous year’s £69.6m.
