Membership in the credit union is voluntary and is open to all citizens bound by with joint work or residence, who wished to create a credit union to use its services and are willing to take on relevant commitments and responsibilities. Typically, donor contributions to the credit unions are targeted and used in the same statutory requirements and restrictions as the Mutual Financial Aid fund as a whole. Today in the UK there are about 700 credit unions with assets exceeding 200 million pounds. Members of credit unions place in credit unions usually free fund balances, ie those that remain after expenses devoted to education of children, the acquisition of new properties, additional pension benefits, etc. The main activities of credit unions, aimed at the organization of mutual aid and social support of citizens is not intended to profit. Credit unions appeared in England in the 19th century. In 1844 a group of workers from Rochdale established the first cooperative. Important specifics of creating a credit union - an initiative order of organization: people do not receive any instructions, orders or regulations, the unification into a credit union occurs by their will and decision. Credit cooperatives and credit unions exist in many different forms. The main differences relate to the nature of the membership and the opening of a credit institution. Today, the World Council of Credit Unions is represented as members four regional confederations and twelve national associations.