The UK is looking to improve access to cash for millions of people and small businesses by setting up banking points in remote locations and ensuring basic needs are met.
Britain's state-owned Post Office will play a major part in the plan by sharing its premises with banks in remote places.
The trial will begin in three locations, in the English towns of Ampthill in Bedfordshire and Rochford in Essex, and at Cambuslang, near Glasgow in Scotland.
Martin Kearsley, the Post Office's banking director, told the Financial Times that the joint branches would make banking as important a part of the Post Office as its traditional mail and parcel business.
He said that it had "a social and moral responsibility to focus on cash and banking as one of our main strategic pillars".
Access to cash became a challenge for people living in remote parts of the UK after almost half of bank branches in Britain were closed down between 2000 and 2019.
The use of cash is declining in the UK, with coronavirus accelerating the trend, resulting in a 71 per cent drop in demand for notes and coins from autoteller machines during the first wave of the pandemic between March and mid-April, according to the National Audit Office.
Some businesses now refuse cash payments to help curb the spread of coronavirus, while consumers increasingly prefer digital payments to avoid contact with notes and coins.
In September, the UK's Royal Mint said it would stop producing 2p and £2 coins for at least 10 years as demand for cash dwindles and a coin mountain lies in storage.
However, the declining use of cash is an issue for sections of society reliant on the payment method, including more than a million UK adults who do not have a bank or building society current account.
The Post Office's three new banking points are part the Community Access to Cash Pilots (CACP) initiative funded by the banking and finance industry, which is working to create ways to help keep cash sustainable.
In September, the CACP said it was planning nine pilot cash locations to help improve cash access and acceptance.
The trials at the three sites in England and Scotland, which are in dedicated high street retail spaces, combine the cash transaction facilities of a post office with access to the banking services offered by retail banks.
Natalie Ceeney, chairwoman of the CACP, said in September that cash remains critically important to both individuals and communities across the UK.
“The rapid switch to digital is threatening the viability of today’s cash infrastructure. This can lead to consumers left without cash access or forced to leave their own village or town to get cash elsewhere, often at significant inconvenience and cost," she said.
"In turn, local retailers lose custom, as consumers spend their cash elsewhere, and then struggle to bank their cash takings without shutting up shop to drive to a bank branch some miles away, losing revenue and frustrating customers."
Pop-up Post Office services are also proposed to allow communities access to basic banking services over a Post Office counter within small shops, as well as widespread cashback from stores, restaurants and pubs.
In October, the government said Britain's shops would offer cashback without consumers making a purchase to increase access to notes and coins.
When local shops accept and dispense cash, it is then cycled through local communities, reducing the need to transport and distribute money through cash centres and, in turn, cutting the associated costs.
Last year, consumers received £3.8 billion ($5.13bn) of cash back when paying for items at a till – the second most-used method for withdrawing cash in the UK behind ATMs.
Nick Read, chief executive of the Post Office, said its branches already provide critical cash deposit and withdrawal services for millions of personal and business customers every week.
"Everyone should have the right to use cash and be able to easily and securely access it wherever is most convenient to them," he said.
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Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
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Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage, the Sri Lanka pace bowler, has had to play a lot of cricket to earn a shot at the top level. The 29-year-old debutant first played a first-class game 11 years ago. His first Test wicket was one to savour, bowling Pakistan opener Shan Masood through the gate. It set the rot in motion for Pakistan’s batting.
Stat of the day – 73 Haris Sohail took 73 balls to hit a boundary. Which is a peculiar quirk, given the aggressive intent he showed from the off. Pakistan’s batsmen were implored to attack Rangana Herath after their implosion against his left-arm spin in Abu Dhabi. Haris did his best to oblige, smacking the second ball he faced for a huge straight six.
The verdict One year ago, when Pakistan played their first day-night Test at this ground, they held a 222-run lead over West Indies on first innings. The away side still pushed their hosts relatively close on the final night. With the opposite almost exactly the case this time around, Pakistan still have to hope they can salvage a win from somewhere.
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Live: On beIN Sports HD
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Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
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Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
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1. Fasting
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The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
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