It hardly seems possible but here we are already, celebrating RCI Bank's first birthday - and what a year it's been.

Since RCI Bank joined the market one year ago, the industry has evolved into a far more dynamic and competitive space, offering customers a greater degree of choice when it comes to where to put their hard-earned savings. This is due in no small part to our presence at the top of several best-buy league tables, which has consistently pushed rates upwards and created a compelling alternative to traditional high street banking.

Exclusive data following our recent work with Savings Champion has revealed that in the three months immediately following our launch we drove easy-access rates up by a staggering average of almost 20 per cent. At a time when competition in the banking sector regularly comes under fire for lying dormant, we are proud to be championing a better deal for consumers and playing our part to improve the buoyancy of the UK's savings landscape. This is only the first part of the story, though; great rates need to be coupled with a commitment to providing the highest standards of customer service, and our dedicated team has shown itself more than capable of delivering to the standards rightly expected by RCI Bank customers.

And this year has been impressive in other ways, too; we've broken record after record for maintaining our position at the top of the easy-access market since launching in June 2015, meaning our customers have consistently had access to the best deals since we launched. Research has shown that RCI Bank has acted as a catalyst for improved easy-acess savings rates, giving customers more options to make the most of their savings and contributing to a vibrant challenger market, it makes me and I'm sure all of the team at RCI Bank proud to be able to reflect on our first year and positive impact we've had on the direction of the industry.

With so many Britain's home-grown industries facing new and very real pressures, we also value our place as the only UK savings bank to be owned by a car company and have been able to use our success to support the British automative manufacturing sector. By channelling funds back into loans that have contributed to be a strong year for the UK domestic motoring industry, RCI Bank supports the UK's broader economy and contributes to even more positive results, which is something we are passionate about.

We are dedicated to creating a thriving future for our customers, both through our savings bank and through the work we do to shape the wider landscape. Having cast my mind back over the last twelve months, it seems fitting to end with a hope for the coming year: the UK's savings market is at its best when it is highly competitive, and I hope the environment we've contributed to continues to go from strength to strength. The more providers that put customers and their savings ambitions first the better, and we at RCI Bank, from the team in Watford to our Newcastle-based call centre, are committed to doing our part to make this happen.