For centuries, insurance has been about risk, security, and dignity. On Britain’s south coast, communities in towns like Hove and Brighton built forms of protection long before they were recognised by the mainstream. Black seafarers and migrants in the 19th century formed burial clubs and friendly societies, pooling scarce resources to cover funerals and hardships when formal insurers excluded them. Caribbean families arriving after 1948 continued the practice with pardner scheme, rotating savings groups that safeguarded livelihoods and created opportunities to buy homes, send children to school, or start small businesses.

These grassroots models directly influenced the rise of Britain’s credit union movement. The first modern credit union was registered in 1964, inspired by Caribbean financial traditions that also spread through coastal towns like Hove. By the late 20th century, Black-friendly societies and credit unions had expanded into wider community finance, supporting housing, small business, and social mobility.

Today, Black leaders are breaking barriers in mainstream insurance. Oliver and Alexander Kent-Braham, founders of London-based Marshmallow, built a digital insurer valued at over £1 billion in 2021, a striking reversal of centuries of exclusion. And as the industry adapts to digital threats, Black professionals are now contributing expertise in cyber-insurance, fintech, and risk modelling.

The story of Hove and Britain’s Black communities in insurance is one of innovation and necessity: from burial clubs born of exclusion, to digital insurers and community finance that now help safeguard families and futures. It is a reminder that protection is more than a product, it is about belonging, solidarity, and resilience.