The Leeds Building Society Foundation has donated more than £2 million to charities around the UK after backing a number of good causes in 2019.

The Foundation donated over £160,000 to charities around the UK in 2019, providing a boost to 182 separate groups and community organisations. The funds have been used in a variety of ways, including improving facilities, purchasing equipment, providing transport, and supporting vulnerable members of the community in need of help.

The 2019 donations have helped Leeds Building Society Foundation pass the £2 million mark, with almost 3,000 UK-based charities benefitting from funds since the Foundation was established in 1999.

In a further boost to good causes around the UK, Leeds Building Society Foundation has announced that – from 2020 – it will be focusing on funding charities with an annual turnover of under £1 million. This new criteria will ensure that smaller charities – which often provide vital services with limited resources – will be in a stronger position to benefit from the Foundation’s popular funding programme.

Gary Hetherington, chairman of Leeds Building Society Foundation, said: “As the Foundation marks 20 years of helping good causes around the UK, Leeds Building Society colleagues and members should be enormously proud that more than £2 million has now been shared among thousands of charities.

“Leeds Building Society Foundation recognises that smaller charities face extra challenges to survive, which is why we’ve introduced new criteria as part of the 2020 application process. By encouraging smaller charities to apply for funds, we can ensure that these groups are in a more resilient position to be making a positive difference in the communities they serve.”