Building society offers grants to community groups

Skipton to donate £81,000 to Birmingham initiatives.

Skipton Building Society’s award winning, community funding scheme, Grassroots Giving, has now officially launched its 2015 campaign. Grassroots Giving gives small community groups, clubs and organisations from across Birmingham the opportunity to apply for a £500 donation.

In April 2013 Skipton Building Society launched Grassroots Giving to give more sustainable support for local communities, as part of the Society’s 160th anniversary. While offering community funding as part of the scheme, Grassroots Giving also provides support, guidance and public profile for every single group that enters. And thousands have so far.

Now in its third year the Grassroots Giving scheme has given over £160,500 to small community groups across the country, including many in the Birmingham area. Previous winners include South Birmingham Volley Ball Club, among others.

Applications are now officially open for entries at www.skiptongrg.co.uk

Last year 28,000 public votes saw 161 groups receive £500 each to help fund projects. 80% of those groups who received funding believe that the Grassroots Giving Campaign will help them continue their work in the future.

Roy Prenton, from Skipton’s Grassroots Giving team, said: “Grassroots Giving is all about helping small community groups that usually struggle to gain any kind of financial support. Out scheme has far exceeded our expectations, demonstrating that many local community groups need this help and support. This is why we moved from solely giving money, to providing free resources and support to help these groups grow and succeed.

“The application process is really quick and straightforward, so I’d like to appeal to anyone who’s a member of a small local, club, group or organisation in the region to visit the Grassroots Giving website and apply for a share of our funding.”

Liz Needleman, from Business in the Community, an organisation Skipton Building Society is working with said: “Grassroots Giving is a great opportunity for community groups, it really embodies the idea of community activity in action, and showcases just how much Skipton Building Society has embraced the idea of businesses acting responsibly within the community. Their campaign is a great illustration of how far a businesses contribution and support can really provide a lasting impact on grassroots organisations at the heart of many neighbourhoods.”

This year Grassroots Giving is giving away £81,000 to support even more small groups. If your group would like to benefit from funding, applications are now open. For more information visit www.skiptongrg.co.uk where free resources are also available, giving advice on subjects such as fund-raising and attracting more members to your group. You can also follow Grassroots Giving’s Twitter feed, @SkiptobBS_grg for all the latest news.