Darlington Building Society has committed to donate £172,500 to local charities and good causes in 2022.
Already this year, the Society has awarded seven charities and community organisations more than £50,000.
The Society donates at least 5% of its annual profits to local charities and good causes under its 5% Pledge.
The record sum is a percentage of the Society’s profits, topped up with £12,500 by County Durham Community Foundation (Foundation), which manages the Society’s charity donations.
Going forward, all 5% Pledge applications will go through the Foundation’s portal. This new process helps Darlington Building Society to oversee increasing numbers of applications more easily, in a single format.
County Durham Community Foundation’s abundant local knowledge, and the extra opportunities they can identify, will ensure that donations continue to go to those who need it most, making the biggest possible difference.
Darlington Building Society chief executive, Andrew Craddock (pictured) said: “Our record 2021 profits mean that we are in a position to help even more good causes in 2022. I’m delighted with the amount of funding that has been awarded so far.
“Darlington Building Society will continue to support local charities and causes to help to improve the lives of our members and local communities.
“The new portal will streamline and standardise the 5% Pledge applications process, so we are ultimately able to make our members’ money work harder than ever before.”
Michelle Cooper, CEO of County Durham Community Foundation (CDCF) added: “We’ve been working alongside Darlington Building Society for many years, to add value to their generous ethos of giving back to local communities.
“Working on the basis that we can do so much more together, we’ve been able to provide match funding from our other supporters to boost the 5% Pledge. Building a portal for the 5% Pledge on our website was the logical next step in making sure the application process for groups is simple and fair.
“We’re proud to work in partnership to help our local communities fight poverty and enrich lives. We look forward to another year of making sure the Society’s charitable giving goes as far as possible in making a real difference.”
Niki Barker, director of people and culture at Darlington Building Society said: “We had a really strong set of 5% Pledge applications in the first quarter of this year and were delighted to have had an opportunity to increase our support.
“We are passionate about improving three core areas in the region: mental health and wellbeing; staying connected; and skills development and employment. We really feel that the donations we’ve made in this quarter will go towards making a sustainable change.”
The charities that have been awarded donations from the 5% Pledge so far in 2022 include:
- North East Autism Society
- Family Help
- Climate Action North
- Bedale Athletics and Sports Association
- Darlington Parent Carer Forum
- Bankfields Primary School Table Tennis Club
In addition, the Society made a £5,000 donation to the Red Cross Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
