Things we do for people and the planet
As an organisation we were founded to deal with a societal problem - helping teachers buy homes when most providers rejected them as unattractive lending prospects.
Whilst financial services have moved on and borrowers are no longer discriminated against due to their gender or profession, our work in society is far from complete.
We think helping teachers buy homes is a pretty amazing purpose, and it is one that will continue to drive us. But the way we achieve that goal is just as important to us as the goal itself.
At Teachers Building Society we're unashamedly all about teachers. Much as we'd love to, we accept that as a teacher focussed building society we can't do everything. we don't manufacture or supply large amounts of goods that could be created in a greener way. There are simply spaces of the environmental challenge that are not in our gift to influence.
So we're focussing our attention on the areas we can change. we're doing the common sense things like cutting down on paper usage, ensuring we can recycle and use energy efficient lighting in our office building.
We think product innovation is also an opportunity for us to make a bid difference. We're not looking for a quick win, but solutions that will genuinely help teachers buy homes. In 2025 we increased the maximum we lend to teachers to up to 7 times their joint income, at a maximum of 95% LTV. We'll share more solutions as we clarify our vision for the future..
Our main office is in Dorset (near the south coast of England). Many of our lovely colleagues live in and around the area although others live further afield. Regardless of location, we facilitate each and every member of the team to give something back to a cause they feel passionate about. We do this by empowering colleagues to spend up to two working days a year getting involved in projects. To date these have involved:
- Volunteering in education settings
- Arranging foodbank drives and making donations to areas in need
- Providing advice on everything from job applications to managing personal finance through partnerships with schools
- Supporting cleaner coastlines through participation in beach cleans
- Donating and planting trees to ensure the regeneration of woodland areas
Education
You know about teaching, we know about home ownership. We also know a thing or two about how to run a home in an eco-friendly way, that might just help you save some money too. We’ve produced a guide to simple changes that you can make. Here are just a few of our top tips:
- Get the low down on local recycling – order extra bins from your council if you need to
- Opt for energy efficient white goods and appliances if you need to buy new ones
- Upcycle second-hand furniture rather than buying new
- Turn off standby appliances
- Turn the thermostat down by 1 degree
- Use a linen line instead of the tumble dryer
- Install a low flow shower head to save water without reducing the water pressure
- Reduce food waste – why not try ‘mash-up Monday’ instead of throwing away all those leftover items that don’t make a meal on their own!
- Use Ecosia as a search engine (it’s the default search engine for all our colleagues) – profits made are reinvested in planting trees
The team at the top
Strong principles require strong leadership. Find out more about our board of directors
People like us
Could you be as passionate about us as we are? We're looking for creative, passionate people to join our team