CCTA has represented non-bank lenders since 1891. Some of our earliest members provided sewing machines and household goods through hire purchase. They would barely recognise today’s products, technology or regulation, but they would understand the value of firms coming together to share experience and make sure their voice is heard.

The past few years have been difficult for consumer credit, particularly for smaller and specialist lenders. Firms have exited, merged or stopped lending. The market has contracted, while those that remain face higher costs, more complex expectations and uncertainty about how regulation will be applied.

Smaller firms may not have large policy, legal or regulatory teams, yet they must interpret the same volume of change with fewer resources. The challenge is working out what matters, what it means in practice and how to respond with confidence.

The pandemic added another disruption. Our physical events disappeared overnight, removing one of the main ways members met, exchanged experience and built relationships. CCTA was also supporting a smaller pool of potential members while being asked to do more across an expanding regulatory agenda.

It was clear that we could not simply return to the old model. I was pleased to work with the Board and team on a new strategy built around a straightforward question: how could we make CCTA more useful and more sustainable?

Rebuilding our events programme was one of the priorities. Our annual Conference returned with a revised format and broader range of speakers. We then added a second major event in the spring, alongside roundtables, workshops, online sessions and special interest groups.

Members tell us that some of the most valuable conversations happen when they can compare their approach with firms facing the same problem. These meetings offer smaller teams a chance to hear directly from regulators, test their thinking and avoid solving every problem alone.

I wouldn’t be doing my job if I missed the opportunity to push the Conference. Get your tickets as early as possible.

CCTA Academy has been another important part of the strategy. It was created to provide practical and affordable learning designed around the realities of smaller and specialist lenders.

The Academy has passed 1,000 licences, reaching that milestone more quickly than expected. That tells us there is real demand for learning that helps people understand the rules, the judgement required and the behaviours expected of them. It also helps firms support onboarding, refresh knowledge and build capability without developing every element of training internally.

Looking across all of this, I have become increasingly convinced that much of CCTA’s value lies in how we gather and transfer knowledge.

Members tell us what they are seeing in the market. Regulators and policymakers explain the direction of travel. Our job is to bring those perspectives together, work out what matters and help members make better decisions.

A concern raised through the Advice Line or a special interest group may lead to wider member discussions, shape a consultation response and then inform a briefing, event or Academy module. Policy, advice, communications, events and training reinforce one another.

At the halfway point, CCTA’s external profile is stronger. That matters because debates about consumer credit can easily be dominated by the largest institutions. Our role is to make sure smaller and specialist lenders are not crowded out.

Our work on Consumer Credit Act reform, the future of the Financial Ombudsman Service and motor finance redress has involved more than responding to consultations. We have sought to ensure that reforms designed around large institutions also recognise the resources, business models and customers of smaller firms.

Members need more than updates after decisions have been made. They need a trade body that spots emerging risks, explains the practical consequences and makes their case while policy is still being shaped.

Membership recruitment remains challenging, but retention has remained strong. We want to grow, but the right measure is not an arbitrary number. It is whether we retain good members, replace firms that leave and recruit businesses for which CCTA can make a genuine difference.

Not every initiative has developed at the same pace, and a small team cannot pursue every opportunity. The strategy has reinforced the importance of concentrating on areas where CCTA has genuine expertise and where members can see clear value.

We enter the second half of the year with stronger events, a growing Academy, a higher profile and a clearer understanding of where CCTA adds value.

CCTA has lasted for 135 years because it has changed with the market. The test for the next stage is whether members continue to feel better informed, better connected and better represented because CCTA is there.