Triodos Bank “stepped in to fill the gap” left by recession-hit high street banks in the first half of 2009, as its UK lending and loan commitments surged by 29% to reach £305m, according to half year results published in September.

Funds entrusted to the bank in the UK grew by 2.3% to £347m over the same period. The success of social banks has been extensively covered by Philanthropy UK.

Lending by the bank’s environment team grew most, with an increase of 47% in lending and commitments in the first half of 2009, principally in renewable energy. Lending and commitments to charities and social enterprise grew by a third to £150m during the first half of the year.

Dr Bevis Watts, head of business banking at Triodos Bank, says, “While many banks have cut back on credit following the financial crisis, we’ve stepped in to fill the gap, resulting in considerable growth in our lending activity. We’ve increased capacity in our lending team to meet growing demand for finance from some of the UK’s best ethical businesses and charities.”

The bank has hired six new staff for its lending team. Triodos employs around 60 people in the UK.