Age UK Wakefield District gets £2,000 from Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation

The charity, which is based on Bank Street in Castleford, has received a £2,000 from Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation.

Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation is funded through the Small Change Big Difference scheme where members donate the pennies from the interest on their accounts just once a year to help smaller charities around the UK.

Age UK has used the donation to fund vital repairs to ten wheelchairs which are loaned to service users who have mobility difficulties.

And it has also funded specialist training for 20 staff members to enable them better support older people to improve their quality of life.

Dr Emma Kirkby-Geddes, lead for positive ageing, Age UK Wakefield District, said: “We were thrilled to be given this generous donation from the Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation. The donation, meant we could invest in specialist training of our staff team so that they can continue to improve the lives of older people in our communities; the donation also paid for maintenance work for our wheelchairs, this service is key to enabling older people to be able to get out and about if their mobility is compromised by illness.

“Our work to improve the lives of older people in our community really benefits from the support of local organisations such as the Yorkshire Building Society who are clearly committed to investing in the communities they serve.”

Age UK was put forward for the donation by one of their trustees, Barbara Burnley, who is also a Yorkshire Building Society member.

Jane Mee, Yorkshire Building Society’s Wakefield assistant branch manager, said: “At Yorkshire Building Society we’re committed to being at the heart of the communities we live and work in and we’re delighted to the Charitable Foundation has been able to support Age UK.

“Our members fund the Charitable Foundation and I know they would be as proud as I am to be able to help such a worthwhile charity which makes a real difference to many peoples’ lives.”

In 2017, the Charitable Foundation donated £234,684 to more than 200 charities and good causes nominated by members and colleagues from around the UK.

For more information about our Small Change Big Difference scheme and to see an interactive map of recent Charitable Foundation donations visit www.ybs.co.uk/charitablefoundation.