Co-operativebank

The Co-operative Bank is part of the Co-operative Group with its history going back as far as 1872. The banks main claim to fame was its launch in 1992 of an ethical policy. What this means to the consumer is you do business with a company that you know in turn does not do business with any companies in deems to be unethical.
The co-op started their “customers who care” project in 1994 and since that time have given in excess of three million pounds to a wide range of charities and organisations. The scheme works by matching every £100 you spend with a 1.25p donation to a worthwhile cause. Donations are made on ethical grounds. For instance one of the first support causes was the call for the ban on the use of land mines.
The co-op is a partner bank with Smile internet bank and they share the same ethical policy. The bank is noted for bringing innovative products to the market such as free personal banking since 1974 and the very first interest paying cheque accounts. In 1991 they brought a guaranteed "free for life" Gold Visa card to the market, again the first UK bank to do so.