Leeds Building Society Foundation gives more than £2 million to good causes in last 20 years

The foundation donated more than £160,000 to charitiesin 2019, providing a boost to 182 separate groups and community organisations. The funds have been used in a variety of ways, including improving facilities, purchasing equipment, providing transport, and supporting vulnerable members of the community in need of help.

The 2019 donations have helped Leeds Building Society Foundation pass the £2 million mark, with almost 3,000 groups benefitting from funds since the foundation was established in 1999.

In a further boost, Leeds Building Society Foundation has announced that – from 2020 – it will be focusing on funding charities with an annual turnover of under £1 million. This new criteria will ensure that smaller charities – which often provide vital services with limited resources – will be in a stronger position to benefit from the popular funding programme.

Gary Hetherington, chairman of Leeds Building Society Foundation, said: “As the foundation marks 20 years of helping good causes around the UK, Leeds Building Society colleagues and members should be enormously proud that more than £2 million has now been shared among thousands of charities.

Leeds Building Society Foundation is funded by the society and its members via the Your Interest in Theirs scheme, where members can opt-in to donate the pence of their interest, which is split equally between Leeds Building Society Foundation and the Society’s national charity partner Samaritans. It primarily provides funding towards practical items that are improving the lives of those who are disadvantaged or in vulnerable circumstances.

To find out more, charities should visit the Leeds Building Society website.