When Alan Campbell launched Salad in 2018, it was with a clear mission: to challenge unfair lending practices and create a fairer financial future for people too often excluded from mainstream credit.
Alan had already built a reputation as a passionate campaigner for consumer rights. Through his work with Debt Hacker, he helped thousands of borrowers challenge unaffordable payday loans and shine a light on irresponsible lending. With over 22,000 complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service covering more than £10 million of payday loans. But while fighting against unfairness was vital, Alan wanted to go a step further — to build something positive that could provide a real alternative. That vision became Salad.
A New Kind of Lending
Alan and the team behind Salad believed that the traditional credit scoring system was broken. Too many hard-working people — including nurses, porters, care staff, and other public sector workers — were being denied access to fair credit simply because their credit files didn’t tell the full story.
Here at Salad we set out to do things differently. By harnessing the power of open banking data, Alan ensured that the company could look at someone’s real financial circumstances — their income, their regular spending, the debt burden and their ability to afford repayments. This approach made lending more accurate, more responsible, and above all, fairer.
As Alan has often said, Salad’s purpose is to “smash the monopoly of credit reference agencies” and open the door to lending for the many, not just the few.
Putting People First
From day one, Alan focused Salad on serving the people who keep the UK running. Public sector workers often face financial pressure, and yet the options available to them have too often been expensive payday loans or high-interest credit. Alan wanted Salad to be the safer, more ethical alternative — affordable loans structured in a way that helps rather than harms.
Salad’s commitment as a social enterprise reflects Alan’s values. Profits are reinvested to support the mission, and independent research — including collaborations with leading universities — ensures Salad is always guided by evidence about what customers really need.
Looking Ahead
What started as Alan Campbell’s vision in 2018 has grown into a national movement for fairer finance. Salad is expanding across the UK, helping thousands of everyday heroes access affordable credit when they need it most.Alan’s story — from campaigning against harmful lending practices to launching Salad as a positive solution — continues to shape everything we do. His determination to blend fintech innovation with a strong social purpose is at the heart of Salad’s mission: proving that lending can be both fair and transformative.
