The Commercial Finance Brokers UK has appointed Mark Grant as managing director of CFBUK Network, a move designed to accelerate the organisation’s expansion across the country. Grant steps into the role with a clear mandate: to grow the network’s membership and help more businesses access specialist commercial lending.
His arrival comes at a moment when regional economic divergence is making local knowledge ever more valuable. For brokers, spotting opportunities often means looking beyond company accounts and into the communities where businesses operate. One lens that can sharpen that view is the age profile of a local population.
Where the over-65s are most concentrated
| District | Post town | Region | Aged 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| PO35 | Bembridge | South East | 46.0% |
| PE36 | Hunstanton | East of England | 44.1% |
| BH13 | Poole | South West | 43.7% |
| PO39 | Totland Bay | South East | 42.7% |
| LN12 | Mablethorpe | East Midlands | 42.6% |
| EX12 | Seaton | South West | 42.2% |
| IP18 | Southwold | East of England | 41.7% |
| PO34 | Seaview | South East | 41.6% |
| LL74 | Tyn-y-Gongl | Wales | 41.2% |
| NR25 | Holt | East of England | 41.2% |
The table above draws on the latest official figures to rank postcode districts by the share of residents aged 65 and over. Right at the top sits PO35, the district that covers Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. Here, 46.0% of the population is in that older age bracket, a proportion far above the national average.
Bembridge is a coastal village known for its harbour and sailing, but the data paints a picture of a community where nearly half of residents are in retirement. That sort of concentration does not happen by accident; it reflects long-term trends in where people choose to live later in life, often favouring scenic, quieter locations with good amenities.
For a commercial finance broker, such a demographic skew is not just a curiosity. It can signal steady demand for certain types of business lending. Care homes, domiciliary care agencies, and medical practices may need finance to expand or refurbish. Retailers and hospitality venues might look to adapt their offers for an older clientele, perhaps with accessibility improvements or different product ranges. Even the local construction sector could see opportunities in building or converting properties for retirement living.
What this means for a growing broker network
CFBUK’s decision to bring in a dedicated managing director for its network suggests it wants to equip brokers with better tools and intelligence to serve clients nationwide. While the organisation has not singled out any particular postcode district, the data from Postcodes UK highlights how granular demographic insight can guide where a broker might focus their efforts.
An area like PO35, with its exceptionally high proportion of older residents, is likely to have a business landscape that differs markedly from a city centre postcode. Lending decisions that make sense in a young, fast-growing urban area may not fit a community where the customer base is predominantly retired. A broker who understands that can have more productive conversations with both business owners and lenders.
Mark Grant’s experience in the commercial finance sector will be put to work building a network that can respond to these varied local conditions. As the network expands, the ability to overlay demographic data onto lending enquiries could become a competitive advantage. After all, a care home in Bembridge faces different challenges and opportunities from a tech start-up in a university town.
The appointment also reflects a broader trend in financial services: the growing recognition that data, including population statistics, can sharpen risk assessment and reveal underserved markets. For commercial finance brokers, being able to point to hard numbers about an area’s age structure may help make the case for a loan to a lender’s credit committee.
Of course, demographics are only one piece of the puzzle. Property values, local economic output, and infrastructure plans all play their part. But the age data from Postcodes UK offers a straightforward starting point. If a broker is looking to build a specialism in lending to businesses that serve older people, knowing that PO35 tops the list is a useful signpost.
The data behind this
The population age breakdowns come from the Office for National Statistics census, the most comprehensive survey of the UK population. Postcode district boundaries and classifications are maintained in the Postcodes UK database, which links each district to its constituent postcodes. Property market context is drawn from HM Land Registry price paid data, helping to complete the picture of a local area’s economic character. Together, these sources allow Postcodes UK to map the country’s demographic landscape down to the postcode district level, giving businesses and brokers a clear view of the communities they serve.
In response to reporting by Mortgage Solutions. Analysis and figures by Postcodes UK.