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Community donations made since the start of the year include a new partnership with armed forces charity Walking With The Wounded, and a contribution of £25,000 to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
In total, we have provided community funding of £182,000 so far in 2022, as part of our ongoing commitment to support those in need. This is in addition to a further commitment of £50,000 in 2022 to Newcastle United Foundation as part of our long-term partnership with the club’s official charity.
One of our largest donations was made in April to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) to help those impacted by the conflict in Ukraine. DEC charities and their local partners are on the ground in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, providing food, water, shelter and medical assistance.
At the same time, we also committed to support our colleagues who choose to open their home to a refugee through the Homes for Ukraine scheme. As well as providing an additional two days’ paid leave, we will provide colleagues with a grant of £500 to help with settling in costs.
£50,000 was awarded to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation to continue to fund a specialist nursing post at the Freeman Hospital. Having supported the Foundation for each of the past ten years, we’re now the largest corporate donor to the charity, with a cumulative contribution of over £3m.
In March, we announced a new five year partnership with Walking With The Wounded, including an annual donation of £25,000 to support the charity’s employability programme. We are also creating veteran employment opportunities across our Group and aim to recruit at least five veterans this year.
Grants through the Newcastle Building Society Community Fund at the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland have continued. In May, £60,000 of grant funding was awarded to 22 different charities tackling disadvantage across the region, with a particular focus on employability, social isolation, food poverty, homelessness, debt management, and cancer care. A further £15,000 was awarded to seven different charities to fund community events celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with a focus on reducing social isolation.
Customers can see grant funding criteria and make nominations online here.