Barclays traces back to two goldsmith bankers, John Freame and Thomas Gould, who were doing business in London in 1690. Throughout centuries, the bank not only expanded in the United Kingdom through several corporate acquisitions, but also in North America by acquiring the core business of Lehman Brothers in 2008 post the bank’s bankruptcy. 

Today, Barclays Bank UK PLC and Barclays Bank PLC operate alongside but independently from one another as part of the Barclays Group under the listed entity Barclays PLC:

• Barclays Bank UK PLC is the ring-fenced bank in the United Kingdom. This division offers everyday products and services to retail customers and small- to medium-sized business clients in the UK. Furthermore, it provides its Wealth and Business banking clients with transactional, lending and investment product and services. 
• Barclays Bank PLC is the international division including the corporate and investment bank, consumer bank, and cards and payments. 

On the sustainability side, Barclays is one of the 30 founding banks to support the principles of UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). Furthermore, the bank joined the United Nations to launch the Principles of Responsible Banking to drive sustainable changes across the financial services industry. Its Citizenship and Sustainability work includes facilitating £150bn of social and environment financing by 2025, doubling its green bond investment to £4bn and upskilling ten million people over the next five years. On top of its commitments, the bank also publishes sustainability-related research.

Purpose:

‘Creating opportunities to rise’. They are a company of opportunity makers working together to help people rise – customers, clients, colleagues and society.

Barclays is a publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange (primary) and New York Stock Exchange (secondary). Barclays’ income is derived from the fees and advisory services that accompany their banking services including retail, business, corporate and investment banking. Income is also earned from Barclays’ financial assets.