Families facing a cash crisis are set to be offered a lifeline through an expansion of the district's credit union.
A branch of the organisation, which offers savings and cheap loans, is already running in the Woodhouse area of Keighley.
Now efforts are being made to set up branches in other areas of the town, including Braithwaite and Bracken Bank.
Councillor Jan Smithies hopes to recruit trusted volunteers and run branches in community centres, schools and children's centres.
This is in addition to an existing outlet at Keighley Town Hall where people can make savings payments or arrange loans.
The scheme has 289 members in the Keighley area, including many who do not have access to normal banking facilities.
One major aim is to keep people away from loan sharks, doorstep lenders, and “payday loans” companies. Credit unions enable people to pay as little as £1 a week into a savings account, and after a while apply for loans with interest rates as low as one or two per cent a month.
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