Two community groups in York have been awarded a funding boost of £10,000 through the Yorkshire Bank Spirit of the Community Awards to recognise the important role they play in the local community.
Yorkshire Bank announced the substantial donations to voluntary groups at an awards ceremony in Leeds on 22 June 2016 to recognise the charities and not for profit organisations which are going the extra mile.
Fifteen community groups across England were selected to share funding of £75,000 to make a real difference in their local area including York Blind and Partially Sighted Society and Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust for a project based in York.
York Blind and Partially Sighted Society provide services to enable people who are blind or partially sighted to be independent. The charity was awarded £5,000 to fund volunteer inductions which help to support clients with safe handling of money.
Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust is the only organisation in Europe devoted to the conservation of all invertebrates and actively encourages the general public to value Britain’s rarest and most diverse creatures. The organisation was awarded £5,000 funding towards the York Urban Buzz project which will create 100 ‘Buzzing Hotspots’ across the area to create a pollinator habitat.
Now in its fourth year, the awards programme aims to recognise charities and not for profit organisations for the invaluable contributions they make to their local communities. Groups were invited to enter the awards programme under one of three categories; projects which help people to have a healthy relationship with money, projects which help people to improve their local environment and projects which help people into employment.
Debbie Crosbie, Chief Operating Officer at Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks and Chair of the Yorkshire and Clydesdale Bank Foundation, said: “Yorkshire Bank’s Spirit of the Community Awards aim to recognise and support the vital contribution that voluntary and charitable projects make to their local communities. This is our opportunity to say thank you to the incredible community groups across England for the inspiring work they undertake.
“All of the successful organisations are extremely deserving winners which have been recognised for their role in their local communities with these awards from Yorkshire Bank.”
Helen Slee, Fundraising and Marketing Manager of York Blind and Partially Sighted Society, said: “Thank you to the Yorkshire Bank Spirit of the Community Awards for presenting us with £5,000 towards our volunteer inductions as part of our Home Visiting Service.
“Our inductions provide volunteers with basic visual impairment awareness, an introduction to sighted guiding and in depth information about sight loss and how home visitors can provide practical support. At present, the service is benefiting 70 clients and with this funding we will be able to increase the number of volunteers and clients we can support.”
Alice Farr, Planning Manager at Buglife, added: ‘The funding from the Yorkshire Bank Spirit of the Community Awards will enable York Urban Buzz to revitalise York’s greenspace, making it colourful and buzzing with life.
“By creating new wildflower meadows, planting fruit trees and much more, we can provide important food for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. So, through making our parks beautiful and vibrant we make them better places for people, as well as securing the future of our precious pollinators.’
The Yorkshire Bank Spirit of the Community Awards 2016 winners are:
Help people have a healthy relationship with money category:
· Centrepoint
· York Blind and Partially Sighted Society
· Key Changes – Unlocking Women’s Potential
· St Helens District Citizens Advice Bureau
· Moodswings
Help people into employment category:
· Bolton Lads and Girls Club
· Working Wonders Limited
· Hermitage FM/Carillon Radio
· Humber and Wolds Rural Community Council
· Scotswood Natural Community Garden
Help people improve their local environment category:
· e:merge
· Learning Partnerships
· Environmental and Management Solutions Limited
· Cumbrian Wildlife Trust
· Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust
Yorkshire Bank’s sister organisation, Clydesdale Bank, has also announced 15 successful recipients of £75,000 to support local projects in Scotland as part of the Spirit of the Community Awards initiative. This brings the total funds awarded to community projects up and down the country to £150,000.
