The Yorkshire Building Society Group is extending its Charity of the Year partnership with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution into 2013 after raising an astounding £200,000 over the last 12 months.
The £200,000 raised through the hard work and dedication of Society colleagues and members is the highest total achieved in the Society’s history through a national fundraising campaign.
The Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation also supported the 2012 Charity of the Year fundraising campaign and made a significant contribution to boost the total raised by staff and members.
From 25 January – which is RNLI SOS Day, the charity’s annual community fundraising day - the 2013 Charity of the Year campaign will be launching in branches of Yorkshire, Barnsley and Chelsea building society. For the first time the Charity of the Year campaign will also be launching in Norwich and Peterborough (N&P) branches across the country as well.
All 228 branches will be holding fundraising activities throughout the year and selling RNLI items within the branches to raise money for the charity that saves lives at sea.
‘The passion and enthusiasm our people have shown in raising this money for the RNLI has been fantastic and truly inspiring,’ said Chris Pilling, Chief Executive of Yorkshire Building Society.
‘We aimed to raise £100,000 throughout the year so to double our target is great news. Our relationship with the RNLI has been such a success that we have made the decision to continue the relationship for another year to increase that total further.
‘The service the RNLI provides at sea and inland is truly invaluable so I am proud that we are able to show our support once again for this charity. I hope all our customers and members of the public who supported our fundraising campaign last year will help us push on to make a really fantastic donation to the RNLI at the end of 2013.’
All money raised by the staff and members of Yorkshire Building Society will help the RNLI train more of its vital volunteer lifeboat crew and lifeguards.. The volunteer crews, who are on call 24 hours a day, are the backbone of the lifeboat service, physically saving lives at sea.
There are more than 4,600 volunteer lifeboat crew members at the RNLI’s 236 stations around the UK and Ireland and another 3,000 volunteer shore crew members who support them.
Catherine Kaye, Corporate Partnerships Manager for the RNLI, said: ‘Charity of the Year partnerships are very important to the RNLI as we rely on voluntary contributions to continue our lifesaving work. We were delighted that Yorkshire Building Society has once again picked the RNLI as their charity for 2013. They smashed their £100,000 fundraising target four months early, doubling this amount by the end of the year.
‘The extension of this partnership for a second year will provide a tremendous boost to funding our crew training programme, vital training that helps turn RNLI volunteers into lifesavers.’
Notes to Editors
Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation is the focal point for all the Yorkshire Building Society group's charitable giving including; Yorkshire, Barnsley, Chelsea and Norwich & Peterborough Building Societies.
The Charitable Foundation's purpose is to support good causes where the Society's members and staff live and work, helping to demonstrate the value and support that the Yorkshire Building Society group provides to local communities throughout the UK.
The Foundation is supported financially by the Society, its staff and members, particularly through Yorkshire’s innovative Small Change, Big Difference scheme where over 790,000 members currently donate the pence of their interest to the Foundation.
Picture caption
1. Celebrating raising £200,000 and kicking off a new year of fundraising for the RNLI are, L-R: Charlotte Hird, Donna Hudson of Yorkshire Building Society, Ben Mitchell of the RNLI, Robin Churchouse General Manager at Yorkshire Building Society, Dave Steenvoorden of the RNLI, Bev Cox and Louise Neill of Yorkshire Building Society. Credit YBS.
2. Chris Pilling, Chief Executive of Yorkshire Building Society, with the crew of Humber RNLI. Credit Doug Jackson.
For more information please contact
Yorkshire Building Society: Catherine Walker on 01274 472117; Press Office on 0845 1200 890
RNLI: Alison Levett on 07786 668912 or at alison_levett@rnli.org.uk