Members have raised £9,617 for Leeds Building Society’s charity partners by casting votes as part of its annual general meeting (AGM).

The Society donated 10p for every paper vote and 20p for every online vote returned, with members able to choose between the Society’s charity partner Samaritans and Leeds Building Society Foundation.

A total of £5,645 was raised for Samaritans. The remaining £3,972 will be donated to Leeds Building Society Foundation, which invests up to £1,000 in registered charities around the UK to support community-based projects.

Richard Fearon, Leeds Building Society’s chief commercial officer, said: “As a mutual building society, it’s important we listen to our members so we can focus on what matters to them.

“Our charity partner Samaritans was chosen after listening to members, so it seems fitting that we were able to raise such a large sum for the charity by listening to our customers’ opinions once again.

“The money generated through member votes is a fantastic start to our partnership and will contribute to our target of £250,000 for Samaritans over the next two years, as well as ensuring our Foundation can continue to invest in the communities where our members and colleagues live and work.”