Chetwood Bank has appointed Ben Mitchell as director of savings, as the firm looks to expand its savings offering. He brings more than 25 years of experience in retail banking and financial services, having held senior positions including SilverRock Bank as head of products and at Tandem Bank as director of savings. As part of his new role, Mitchell will drive the bank’s delivery of its savings products and its growth plans.

Atom bank has announced its plan to move from its UK headquarters in Durham to The Pattern Shop in Newcastle. The multi-million pound office investment comes following a period of growth and profitability for the app-only bank. The building, which was originally built in the 1800s, has been restored into a sustainable, low-carbon office space, aligning with Atom’s commitment to become fully carbon positive by 2035. The firm said that it will retain its links with Durham while building on its stamp in Newcastle and elsewhere.

Countrywide Surveying Services (CSS) has welcomed nine new trainees to its structured AssocRICs training programme. The firm has said that the appointments continue its “commitment to nurturing gender diversity in the surveying sector”, with women making up two-thirds of the cohort. Each trainee is paired with an experienced mentor and will follow a learning programme that blends classroom-based education with hands-on training as they work towards their AssocRICS qualification later this year.

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