What are credit unions?

The government wants to double the membership of credit unions to challenge the growth of the payday lending sector.

Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said the Church could do more to help non-profit lenders to compete with payday firms.

The Most Rev Justin Welby wants to see skills of members of the congregation, as well as Church premises, used to assist the advance of credit unions.

So how do these institutions work, and how do they compare to payday lenders like Wonga?

Ben Thompson explains.