This morning Danske Bank have published their full-year financial results for 2022, reporting a profit before tax of £103.3 million.
- Profit is much improved year-on-year, with a positive income performance driven by increased transactional activity and higher UK interest rates. Impairment levels remain low.
- In 2022 they supported the business community in Northern Ireland through over £850 million of business lending approvals, and provided over £590 million in mortgage lending approvals to local people and families.
-Today they are announcing the creation of a £35 million Agri sustainability fund to encourage and support agribusiness customers who want to introduce new more sustainable technologies into their working practices.
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Vicky Davies, CEO of Danske Bank UK, commented: “A strong financial performance means we are well positioned to continue to support customers through the current challenging economic conditions, as well as being able to invest in new products and services that improve customer experience.
“We are staying close to customers, providing support for those who need it, whilst continuing to help businesses pursue growth opportunities and people buy or move home. In Personal Banking, we have over 500 colleagues across our local branches, mortgage teams and contact centres dedicated to looking after the needs of customers.
In Corporate & Business Banking, we have a team of around 80 skilled and experienced relationship managers, by far the largest of any local bank, who are ensuring they are there for our business customers and supporting them with the challenges they may be facing."
She continued: “In 2022 we proactively outreached to over 16,000 customers offering guidance and support directly relating to their financial circumstances. We created a Money Worries online hub for personal customers and a Rising Cost of Doing Business online hub for small business customers, offering advice and assistance, including a customer call-back service for those who want to talk to one of our specialist advisers.
In addition, across the year we continued to raise our rates of interest paid on savings accounts. “I am also very proud that in 2022 colleagues across the bank volunteered to deliver our Money Smart financial education programme in schools, reaching over 7,600 young people throughout Northern Ireland".
“We remain conscious of our important role in financing the transition to a more sustainable future. We have set ourselves a target of being operationally Net Zero by 2030 - but it will be through supporting the sustainability approach of our customers, that we will make the greatest impact. In addition to approving over £650 million in sustainable finance to businesses and consumers in 2022, we supported another 55 local business customers through the Climate Action Programme that we co-developed with Business in the Community.
“To further strengthen our work on the sustainability agenda, I am pleased to announce today the creation of a £35 million Agri sustainability fund to encourage and support agri-business customers who want to introduce new more sustainable technologies into their working practices and make the transition to net zero. “With overall annual economic output in Northern Ireland expected to fall this year, our primary focus will remain on being there to support customers, the community and the wider economy.”
Source: Written from press release
