Disillusionment with banks has fuelled an ‘extraordinary surge' in membership of credit unions in Glasgow, according to the city council. The authority said applications to join some credit unions in the west of Scotland had risen by about 38% in the last six months. It has launched a new campaign to raise awareness of credit union services. A new website and local advertising is being used to promote the benefits of credit union membership. Glasgow's 35 community and industrial credit unions now have about 110,000 members between them. Over the past six years they have seen a six-fold increase in membership and managed assets worth more than £151m. Around one in five people in Glasgow is now believed to be a credit union member – the highest urban membership rate in the UK. Executive member for business and economy, Cllr George Ryan, said: ‘This surge in membership figures is partly due to people's disillusionment with some of the major high street banks – and the fat cat bonuses they are paying out.' The council is investing £450,000 from the Fairer Scotland Fund, over three years, to grow the capacity of the city's credit union.