Around 232,000 people in South West England are employed in banking, insurance and financial services, making this one of the region's most important business sectors and one of Britain's largest financial services bases outside of London.



The Lloyds TSB headquarters providing the backdrop to the Bristol Harbour Festival (Destination Bristol).

Nearly 90,000 are employed in the sector in and around Bristol. Among the major companies operating here are AXA Sun Life at Wraxall, Bristol and West Building Society (now part of the Bank of Ireland), Clerical Medical and Lloyds TSB.