A new Nationwide branch has opened in Glasgow with a “modern look".

SNP Alison Thewliss MP, for Glasgow Central, opened the bank on Argyle Street while big banks continue to close.

It is the newest Nationwide branch that has become part of the network which is now the biggest in the UK.

The Glasgow branch is one of the first to get a fresh modernised look, with all 605 of Nationwide’s high street branches to be upgraded.

Ms Thewliss met the team and toured the newly upgraded branch, where she learned about the services Nationwide offers and experienced the new ways the Society is serving members through the cost-of-living crisis.

Alongside branches, all payment cards and customer communications will be updated with the new brand as part of a commitment to offer ‘A Good Way To Bank’, based on offering leading service, value and fairness.

It comes as recent Nationwide research found that six in 10 people value their local branch, while four in ten value face-to-face service.

Their findings also revealed that more than a third say branches are useful for older people and those with vulnerabilities.

Nationwide has promised not to leave any town or city in which it’s based until at least 2026, which would be almost a century since its Glasgow branch first opened in 1930.

The organisation was called the Co-operative Permanent Building Society, before becoming Britain’s biggest building society today.

The branch relocated over the years as the Co-operative Permanent merged with the Scottish Amicable and Dunfermline building societies before finally settling in the current branch in 2018.

The latest move by Nationwide demonstrates the difference a member-owned institution can make for its customers and society. ​ As well as protecting branches, Nationwide this year returned £340 million of profit to 3.4 million eligible members through the first ‘Nationwide Fairer Share’ payment, with each receiving £100.

Charlene Olliffe, Branch Manager at Nationwide Building Society in Glasgow, said: “We’re so excited to reopen for Glasgow with a fresh new look. Nationwide is going to continue to invest in the high street, and we were honoured to welcome Edward Timpson MP to showcase how we’re committed to serving Glasgow and communities across the UK.

“Nationwide’s research shows how important branches are, especially for people struggling with the cost of living.

“We’re here to help, and we’re here to stay.”