Society hands out birthday gifts

948 charities and good causes have received financial gifts as part of Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation's birthday celebration - Together We Make a Difference Week. In total over £54,000 has been donated to charities and community groups across the country.

Together We Make a Difference Week was held in June to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Charitable Foundation. The Society's customers and the general public were invited to call into any of Yorkshire's 135 branches and 65 agencies to nominate their favourite local charity to receive a cash boost.

The money donated is generated by the Society's unique Small Change, Big Difference scheme where members agree to donate just pennies from the interest they receive each year to make a huge pot of charity money.

Louise Neill of the Society's Charitable Foundation said: "We are absolutely delighted with the number of causes nominated as part of Together We Make a Difference Week. The majority of good causes to receive a donation are small, local groups that are often overlooked for support by big organisations.

"Together We Make a Difference Week was a fantastic way to celebrate the Foundation's tenth birthday and it has been a pleasure to hand out birthday presents in the form of cash donations to over 900 good causes suggested by our members and the general public.

"As much of the funding for the Charitable Foundation is donated by our customers, through the Small Change, Big Difference scheme, we are keen that they have the opportunity to decide which charities receive support. Over 80% of the donations made during Together We Make a Difference Week were suggested by members."