A BUILDING society has teamed up with art deco company Lorna Bailey Artware to produce limited edition piggy banks to mark the opening of a new branch.

Hanley Economic Building Society has commissioned the Burslem-based company to produce 100 pigs created by its sole designer Lorna Bailey.

Half of the pigs, which are wearing black bola hats, pin striped trousers, an orange waistcoat and a briefcase featuring the Hanley logo, will be given to the first mortgage customers at the new branch in Hanley, while the remainder will go on sale for £50 each, with the proceeds being donated to Burslem-based lung disease charity Breath Of Life.

The tie-up came after David Webster, chief executive of the Festival Park-based society, met the designer at a Chamber of Trade meeting.

David Lownds, head of marketing at the mutual which employs 75 people and has 37,000 members, said: “We commissioned Lorna to design and produce the pigs to celebrate the opening of our new branch centre in Hanley on July 4. We have asked for 100 limited edition pigs to be produced. Of those, 50 will be given to new mortgage customers and 50 will be available for sale with the proceeds going to charity.”

Lorna Bailey said: “I had already produced a cat money box which was successfully received by my collectors and a wider audience, which inspired me to think about a pig-shaped money box. It fits in well with the society’s aim to promote savings.”