Editing Building society (section)

===United Kingdom===

====Current====
{{As of|2024|February}}, there are 42 independent building societies,<ref>{{cite web|date=27 February 2024|title=Building Societies Association Factsheet February 2024|url=https://www.bsa.org.uk/getmedia/d99ff64d-3df7-4fb7-9f4d-7ab28bff815a/Assets_Website_4.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240227193144/https://www.bsa.org.uk/getmedia/d99ff64d-3df7-4fb7-9f4d-7ab28bff815a/Assets_Website_4.pdf|archive-date=27 February 2024|access-date=27 February 2024}}</ref> all of which are members of the [[Building Societies Association]].<ref name="multiple" />

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! rowspan="2" style="width:0%;"|
!  rowspan="2"|Name
!  rowspan="2"|Group assets<br />(millions)<ref>Total group assets of building societies ''(data from last available annual reports as of March 2023)''.</ref>
! rowspan="2" width=125pt|Other trading names
!  colspan="2" align=right|Numbers of
!  rowspan="2" align=right|No. of<br />staff
! rowspan="2" align=right|Provides<br />current<br />account?
|-
!  Branches
!  Agencies
|-
| 1 || [[Nationwide Building Society]]
| £271,893
| [[The Mortgage Works]]
| 605 ||
| 17,680
| [[File:Arbcom ru ready.svg|20px|center]]
|-
|| 2 || [[Coventry Building Society]]{{efn|name=group|These societies do not form part of a corporate business group, although they may own other businesses.}}
| £58,867
|
| 64|| 15
| 2,824
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]] 
|-
| 3 || [[Yorkshire Building Society]]
| £58,754
| [[Chelsea Building Society]];<br/>Accord
| 132 || 99 
| 3,117
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]] 
|-
| 4 || [[Skipton Building Society]]
| £33,571
|
| 82||
| 2,506
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 5 || [[Leeds Building Society]]
| £25,514
|
| 50 || 
| 1,538 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]] 
|-
| 6 || [[Principality Building Society]]
| £11,257
| 
| 54 ||14
| 1,157
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 7 || [[West Bromwich Building Society]]
| £5,689
| 
| 37||
| 633 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 8 || [[Newcastle Building Society]]
| £5,313
| [[Manchester Building Society]]
| 31||
| 1,393 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 9 || [[Nottingham Building Society]]
| £3,813
|
| 31||
| 513 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 10 || [[Cumberland Building Society]] 
| £3,090
| 
| 34||
| 634 
| &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; [[File:Arbcom ru ready.svg|13px]]{{efn|name=branch|If customer resides within their "operating area".}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Current Accounts |url=https://www.cumberland.co.uk/neon/download/file/PDFs/Cumberland-Current-Accounts.pdf |website=Cumberland Building Society}}</ref>
|-
| 11 || [[National Counties Building Society]] 
| £2,402
| [[Family Building Society]]
| 1||
| 196 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 12 || [[Progressive Building Society]]{{efn|name=group}}
| £1,900
| 
| 11 ||36
| 172
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 13 || [[Cambridge Building Society]] 
| £1,859
| 
| 13||
| 236
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 14 || [[Newbury Building Society]] 
| £1,547
| 
| 10||
| 180 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 15 || [[Monmouthshire Building Society]] 
| £1,488
|           
| 11 ||11 
| 145 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 16 || [[Saffron Building Society]] 
| £1,286
| 
| 8|| 
| 181 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 17 || [[Leek United Building Society]] 
| £1,238
| 
| 12 || 
| 164 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 18 || [[Furness Building Society]] 
| £1,236
| 
| 9 ||
| 177
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 19 || [[Darlington Building Society]] 
| £833
| 
| 9 ||
| 113
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 20 || [[Hinckley and Rugby Building Society]] 
| £812
| 
| 7 || 2
| 116 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 21 || [[Suffolk Building Society]]{{efn|name=group}} 
| £799
| 
| 9 ||1 
| 123
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 22 || [[Marsden Building Society]] 
| £734
| 
| 8||
| 79
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 23 || [[Melton Building Society]]{{efn|name=group}} 
| £715
| 
| 5 ||
| 88 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 24 || [[Market Harborough Building Society]] 
| £647
|
| 5 ||
| 118 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 25 || [[Scottish Building Society]] 
| £645
| 
| 6 ||61 
| 71
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 26 || [[Dudley Building Society]] 
| £545
|
| 5 ||
| 91
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 27 || [[Tipton & Coseley Building Society]]{{efn|name=group}} 
| £540
| 
| 4||
| 83 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 28 || [[Loughborough Building Society]]{{efn|name=group}} 
| £533
|
| 5 || 1
| 55
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 29 || [[Swansea Building Society]] 
| £530
| 
| 4 ||
| 36
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 30 || [[Hanley Economic Building Society]] 
| £516
| 
| 7 ||
| 73
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 31 || [[Mansfield Building Society]]{{efn|name=group}} 
| £485
|
| 4 ||
| 73 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 32 || [[Vernon Building Society]] 
| £417
| 
| 6 ||
| 68
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 33 || [[Teachers Building Society]] 
| £375
| 
| 1 ||
| 39
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 34 || [[Bath Building Society]] 
| £362
| 
| 2 ||
| 67
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 35 || [[Buckinghamshire Building Society]]{{efn|name=group}} 
| £355
| 
| 1 ||
| 39
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 36 || [[Chorley & District Building Society]]{{efn|name=group}} 
| £334
| 
| 3||
| 50
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 37 || [[Harpenden Building Society]]{{efn|name=group}} 
| £306
| 
| 4 ||
| 64
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 38 || [[Ecology Building Society]]{{efn|name=group|These societies do not form part of a corporate business group, although they may own other businesses.}} 
| £304
|
| 1 ||
| 25
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 39 || [[Stafford Railway Building Society]]{{efn|name=group}} 
| £292
| 
| 1 ||
| 31
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 40 || [[Beverley Building Society]]{{efn|name=group|These societies do not form part of a corporate business group, although they may own other businesses.}} 
| £198
| 
| 1 ||
| 22
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 41 || [[Earl Shilton Building Society]]{{efn|name=group|These societies do not form part of a corporate business group, although they may own other businesses.}} 
| £163
| 
| 2 ||
| 27
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 42 || [[Penrith Building Society]]{{efn|name=group|These societies do not form part of a corporate business group, although they may own other businesses.}} 
| £138
| 
| 1 ||
| 26
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|}
{{notelist}}

====Demutualised====
Ten building societies of the United Kingdom [[Demutualization|demutualised]] between 1989 and 2000, either becoming a bank or being acquired by a larger bank.<ref>[http://www.bsa.org.uk/consumer/factsheets/100010.htm Building Society Takeovers and Flotations] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927225411/http://www.bsa.org.uk/consumer/factsheets/100010.htm |date=27 September 2007 }} Building Societies Association website . Retrieved 5 April 2007.</ref><ref name="pollock">{{Cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7641925.stm
|title=Not such a good idea after all?
|work=[[bbc.co.uk]]
|publisher=BBC News
|author=Pollock, Ian
|date=29 September 2008
|access-date=1 October 2008}}</ref> By 2008, every building society that floated on the stock market in the wave of demutualisations of the 1980s and 1990s had either been sold to a conventional bank, or been [[Nationalization|nationalised]].<ref name="pollock" />

<!-- entries in order of demutualisation -->
{|  class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! width=160pt|Name
! width=140pt|Fate
! width=120pt|Successor
! Year
!class="unsortable" |Current position
|-
| [[Abbey (bank)|Abbey National]] 
|| converted to [[public limited company|plc]] 
||[[Santander UK|Santander]] 
|| 1989 
|| The new bank, also known as "Abbey", was acquired by [[Banco Santander]] and now rebranded as [[Santander UK|Santander]].
|-
| [[Cheltenham and Gloucester]] || taken over by || [[Lloyds Bank (historic)|Lloyds Bank]] || 1994 || Became part of [[Lloyds TSB]], although C&G still had a branch network which became part of [[TSB Bank (United Kingdom)|TSB Bank]] in summer 2013.
|-
| [[National & Provincial Building Society|National & Provincial]]
|| taken over by
|| [[Abbey (bank)|Abbey National]]
|| 1995
|| Business merged into Abbey National (now [[Santander UK|Santander]]), name no longer used.
|-
| [[Alliance & Leicester]]
|| converted to plc
|| [[Santander UK|Santander]]
|| 1997
|| Acquired by [[Banco Santander]], which also owns Abbey, in October 2008, and merged into [[Santander UK|Santander]] in 2010.
|-
| [[Bristol and West]] || taken over by ||[[Bank of Ireland]] || 1997 || Became a division of Bank of Ireland but its savings balances and branch network transferred to [[Britannia Building Society]] in 2005 (which in turn merged with [[Co-operative Financial Services]]). Bristol & West mortgages ceased trading in January 2009.<ref name="Bristol&West">[https://www.theguardian.com/money/2009/jan/10/bristol-west-mortgages After 158 years, the end is nigh for Bristol & West], the Guardian, 10. January 2009</ref>
|-
| [[Halifax (United Kingdom bank)|Halifax]] || converted to plc || || 1997 || Became part of [[HBOS]] in 2001, which itself became part of [[Lloyds Banking Group]] in 2009. Trading name still in use.
|-
| [[Northern Rock]]
|| converted to plc
|| [[Virgin Money UK|Virgin Money]]<br />[[Landmark Mortgages|<small>Northern Rock (Asset Management)</small>]]
|| 1997
|| [[Nationalisation of Northern Rock|Nationalised following near bankruptcy]] in February 2008, due to the [[2008 financial crisis]]. Most of the business bought by [[Virgin Money UK]] in January 2012,<ref name="northern rock">[http://companyinfo.northernrock.co.uk/ Northern Rock Company Information] –  Retrieved 16 June 2012.</ref> with remaining riskier mortgage business retained by the government and renamed NRAM plc (now Landmark Mortgages Limited<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/03273685|title=LANDMARK MORTGAGES LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK}}</ref>).
|-
| [[The Woolwich]]
|| converted to plc
|| [[Barclays]]
|| 1997
|| Now part of [[Barclays|Barclays plc]]. Woolwich brand name now only used for mortgages from Barclays with the Woolwich branch network merging with that of Barclays in 2007.
|-
| [[Birmingham Midshires]]
|| taken over by
|| [[Halifax (United Kingdom bank)|Halifax]]
|| 1999
|| Now owned by [[Lloyds Banking Group]]. The brand name is still retained, but running entirely by post and internet.
|-
| [[Bradford & Bingley]]
|| converted to plc
||
|| 2000
|| [[Nationalization|Nationalisation]] with sale of savings book to Abbey (now [[Santander UK|Santander]]).
|}

====No longer exist====
The following is an incomplete list of building societies in the United Kingdom that no longer exist independently, since they either merged with or were taken over by other organisations.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mergers and Name Changes: extract from BSA Yearbook 2013/14|url=https://www.bsa.org.uk/BSA/files/92/929551d7-df58-4495-ac6b-3b034d2c1c0f.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.bsa.org.uk/BSA/files/92/929551d7-df58-4495-ac6b-3b034d2c1c0f.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|website=Building Societies Association|access-date=10 July 2017}}</ref> They may still have an active presence on the high street (or online) as a trading name or as a distinct brand. This is typically because brands will often build up specific reputations and attract certain clientele, and this can continue to be marketed successfully.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name !!Fate !! Successor !!Year
|-
|[[Abbey Road Building Society]] and <br /> [[National Building Society]] 
| merged to form the || [[Abbey National Building Society]] || 1944
|-
|[[Bingley Permanent Building Society]] and <br /> [[Bradford Equitable Building Society]] 
| merged to form the || [[Bradford & Bingley Building Society]] || 1964
|-
|[[Co-operative Permanent Building Society]]
| changed its name to || [[Nationwide Building Society]] || 1970
|-
|[[Leicester Permanent Building Society]] and <br /> [[Leicester Temperance Building Society]] 
| merged to form the || [[Leicester Building Society]] || 1974
|-
|[[Bedfordshire Building Society]] and <br /> [[Temperance Building Society]]{{refn|group=‡|name=gateway|The Temperance Permanent was so-called because the directors were required to sign [[Theobald Mathew (temperance reformer)|the pledge]], a requirement which was dropped with the merger and name-change – to the reported dismay of some members. [''[[The Times]]'', Friday, 25 April 1975; pg. 4; Issue 59379; col E, 'Temperance abandoned by building society'.  Retrieved from [[InfoTrac]] on 17 July 2008].}} 
| merged to form || [[Gateway Building Society]] || 1974<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bsa.org.uk/docs/consumerpdfs/yearbooknamechangepart1.pdf |title=retrieved 12 July 2008. |access-date=6 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109054139/http://www.bsa.org.uk/docs/consumerpdfs/yearbooknamechangepart1.pdf |archive-date=9 November 2013 |df=dmy }}</ref>
|-
|[[Leek & Westbourne Building Society]] and <br /> [[Oldbury Britannia Building Society]] 
| merged to form || [[Britannia Building Society]] || 1975
|-
|[[Huddersfield & Bradford Building Society]] <br /> and [[West Yorkshire Building Society]] 
| merged to form || [[Yorkshire Building Society]] || 1982
|-
|[[Coventry Economic Building Society]] and <br /> [[Coventry Provident Building Society]]
| merged to form the || [[Coventry Building Society]] || 1983
|-
|[[Burnley Building Society]] and <br /> [[Provincial Building Society]] 
| merged to form the || [[National & Provincial Building Society]] || 1984
|-
|[[London Permanent Building Society]] (est 1914) 
| merged into || [[Cheltenham and Gloucester]] || 1984
|-
|[[Alliance Building Society]] and <br /> [[Leicester Building Society]]
| merged to form the || [[Alliance & Leicester Building Society]] || 1985
|-
|[[Waltham Abbey Building Society (1847)]] 
| merged with the || [[Cheltenham and Gloucester Building Society]] || 1985
|-
|[[Birmingham & Bridgwater Building Society]] <br />  and [[Midshires Building Society]] 
| merged to form the || [[Birmingham Midshires Building Society]] || 1986
|-
|[[Norwich Building Society]] and <br /> [[Peterborough Building Society]] 
| merged to form the || [[Norwich & Peterborough Building Society]] || 1986
|-
|[[Anglia Building Society]] and <br /> [[Nationwide Building Society]]
| merged to form <br /> which changed name to the || [[Nationwide Anglia Building Society]] <br /> [[Nationwide Building Society]] || 1987 <br /> 1991
|-
|[[Gateway Building Society]] and <br /> [[Woolwich Equitable Building Society]] 
| merged to form the || [[Woolwich Building Society]] || 1988
|-
|[[Wessex Building Society]] and <br /> [[Portman Building Society]] 
| merged to form the || [[Portman Wessex Building Society]] || 1989
|-
|[[Regency & West of England Building Society]] <br />  and [[Portman Wessex Building Society]] 
| merged to form || [[Portman Building Society]] || 1990
|-
|[[Hendon Building Society]]
| was taken over by || [[Bradford & Bingley Building Society]] || 1991
|-
|[[Haywards Heath Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Yorkshire Building Society]] || 1992
|-
|[[Cheshunt Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Bristol & West|Bristol and West Building Society]] || 1992
|-
|[[Heart of England Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Cheltenham & Gloucester Building Society]] || 1993
|-
|[[St. Pancras Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Portman Building Society]] || 1993
|-
|[[Leeds Permanent Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Halifax Building Society]] || 1995
|-
|[[City & Metropolitan Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Stroud & Swindon Building Society]] || 1996
|-
|[[Nottingham Imperial Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Newcastle Building Society]] || 2000
|-
|[[Gainsborough Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Yorkshire Building Society]] || 2001
|-
|[[Ilkeston Permanent Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Derbyshire Building Society]] || 2001
|-
|[[Clay Cross Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Derbyshire Building Society]] || 2003
|-
|[[Padiham Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Bradford & Bingley Building Society]] || 1983
|-
|[[Staffordshire Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Portman Building Society]] || 2003
|-
|[[Lambeth Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Portman Building Society]] || 2006
|-
|[[Mercantile Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Leeds Building Society]] || 2006
|-
|[[Universal Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Newcastle Building Society]] || 2006
|-
|[[Portman Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Nationwide Building Society]] || 2007
|-
|[[Cheshire Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Nationwide Building Society]] || 2008
|-
|[[Derbyshire Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Nationwide Building Society]] || 2008
|-
|[[Barnsley Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Yorkshire Building Society]] || 2008
|-
|[[Catholic Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Chelsea Building Society]] || 2008
|-
|[[Scarborough Building Society]]{{refn|group=‡|name=skipton|Merger of Skipton Building Society and Scarborough Building Society, 29 November 2008. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410073626/https://www.skipton.co.uk/about_us/scarborough.aspx|date=10 April 2009|}}}}
| merged with the || [[Skipton Building Society]] || 2009
|-
|[[Dunfermline Building Society]]
| most assets and liabilities<br /> transferred to || [[Nationwide Building Society]] || 2009
|-
| [[Britannia Building Society]]{{refn|group=‡|name=britannia|[http://www.britannia.co.uk/home/news/news_releases/2009_01/position_statement.html Britannia and Co-operative Financial Services unveil plans for super-mutual] (Retrieved 22 January 2009) {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627142003/http://www.britannia.co.uk/home/news/news_releases/2009_01/position_statement.html |date=27 June 2009 }}}}
| acquired by || [[The Co-operative Bank]] ||2009
|-
|[[Chelsea Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Yorkshire Building Society]] || 2010
|-
|[[Chesham Building Society]]{{refn|group=‡|name=Chesham|Chesham Building Society AGM, 31 March 2010. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100530110548/http://www.cheshambs.co.uk/about-us.html?pgid=106 |date=30 May 2010}}, accessed 1 April 2010}}
| merged with the || [[Skipton Building Society]] || 2010
|-
|[[Stroud & Swindon Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Coventry Building Society]] || 2010
|-
|[[Kent Reliance Building Society]]
| acquired by || OneSavings Plc to form [[OneSavings Bank]] || 2011
|-
|[[Norwich and Peterborough Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Yorkshire Building Society]] || 2011
|-
| [[Century Building Society]] 
|  merged with the || [[Scottish Building Society]]  || 2013
|- 
| [[Shepshed Building Society]] 
|  merged with the || [[Nottingham Building Society]] ||  2013
|-
| [[City of Derry Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Progressive Building Society]] || 2014
|- 
| [[Holmesdale Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Skipton Building Society]] || 2018
|- 
| [[Manchester Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Newcastle Building Society]] || 2023
|}
{{Reflist|group=‡}}