Most modern credit unions represent specialized consumer cooperatives of citizens associated by the principle of social community: place of work, place of residence, profession, or any other shared interest. Historically, credit unions have grown from the experience of credit cooperatives, but they took the experience of organizations of mutual aid of citizens by moving methods of social self-protection from labor and toward consumption. In the UK, credit unions are a source of financing of people groups. This tool is not widely used. Worldwide credit union movement is represented by regional confederations and national organizations within the World Council of Credit Unions.