A UK health and life insurance mutual friendly society, owned by its members, based in Exeter and founded in the 1920s.
The Exeter provides health insurance, income protection and life insurance in the UK. As a mutual friendly society it is owned by its members and run for their benefit, and it supports families facing ill health or injury. A friendly society is a mutual that members join for protection against bad times; the Exeter says it now provides life insurance, income protection and health insurance. Its claims teams help members when they need support, which is the core of what the organisation does.
It began in the late 1920s when Frank Chorley and Fred Hawkins started the Exeter Hospital Aid Society to bring healthcare to working people, and it was registered as a friendly society in 1927. Its head office was destroyed in a wartime air raid, and membership fell sharply when the NHS was created in the 1940s, from about 110,000 to 31,000. It was renamed The Exeter about ten years before the page we read was written. We did not find a formal mission statement. The membership history shows how the NHS changed the business: about 110,000 members before the NHS, 31,000 after it, and 39,000 in the 1960s. It has since grown to more than 151,000. The Exeter also describes an early team in the 1950s that collected member premiums in person, which is very different from today's online services.
Its head office is Lakeside House, Emperor Way, Exeter. In its 2026 annual meeting report it said membership grew 3.5% to 151,503 in 2025, and that it paid a record number of claims. The chief executive is Isobel Langton. We did not find an employee count.
The Exeter describes its members as valued, and says it gives to causes: Macmillan Cancer Support became its corporate charity partner for 2025, and colleagues raised £48,000 for good causes during the year. Its site links to an Inclusion and Diversity page and a Vulnerable Customers Charter, which are the company's own commitments.
Because it is a friendly society, jobs often involve talking with members who are going through a difficult time. Roles include claims, customer service, underwriting, sales support, technology and finance teams in Exeter. Check The Exeter's website for current roles and for office information beyond the Exeter head office. The Exeter links to a Vulnerable Customers Charter, so staff are expected to recognise when a member may need extra help. A news report from its 2025 annual meeting also reported a rise in gross premium income, and a broker article said it launched a private medical insurance product aimed at smaller firms, which shows the business adding new product lines. These come from headlines in search results that we did not read in full, so check The Exeter's news pages for details.
Website: www.the-exeter.com
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