The Cumberland Building Society has pledged to keep its branches open on the high street.
The society said it would maintain an active presence in its 31 communities across Cumbria, Lancashire, Northumberland and South West Scotland.
The decision followed a region-wide listening programme commissioned by chief executive Stuart Miller, where people said keeping branches open was central to financial resilience.
It also came after new research from the building society found 28 per cent of people in Cumbria said high street decline was a top issue facing their community.
More than a quarter of people across the North West and Scottish Borders viewed the decline as one of their biggest issues, alongside 27 per cent of people surveyed in Lancashire.
The research followed the closure of approximately 6,600 bank branches from Britain’s high streets since 2015.
Building Society Association research found 91 per cent of people said their local branch was important to their financial wellbeing.
The Cumberland is currently the only remaining financial institution in 19 of its 31 communities.
That figure will rise to 20 when Santander closes its Whitehaven branch early next year.
Mr Miller said: “These findings reflect the concerns we hear every day from the communities we serve. The high street is not just a place to shop, it is where people bank, where businesses trade and where the community comes together.
“When banks leave, they take more than a service with them. At The Cumberland, being an active member of our community is not optional, it is fundamental to who we are so we simply won’t follow the crowd and leave.
“Quite the opposite, we’ll double down by publicly committing to stay and going further with a multi-million-pound investment programme into the branch network.”
As part of the commitment, the building society has modernised its branches on English Street and Rosehill in Carlisle, as well as in Egremont, Annan, Preston and Barrow.
Its Whitehaven branch is currently undergoing a refurbishment with completion expected later this year.
Over the past five years, the organisation has provided more than £1.5m to charities.
Last year included £350,000 in direct support and more than 200 days of staff volunteering.
