Our Commitment to our Communities

Our Money Minds initiative involves lots of colleagues volunteering to inspire young people aged 5-19 years old to learn about money and careers - all to help them develop their financial wellbeing and employability skills. It also includes a huge range of online resources too, designed to support student learning, as well as providing valuable help for teachers, parents and carers.

Our Bradford Talent programme helps nurture young talent in Bradford with work experience, mentoring, role modelling and curriculum support in partnership with targeted schools and colleges. We’re aiming to expand this to other parts of the country.

We’re working with small groups of volunteers to support a pilot project that puts digital skills at the core for adult learners, career switchers, returners to work and entrepreneurs.

Much of this is only possible thanks to our colleagues and members supporting our Small Change Big Difference® scheme, where members donate the pennies of their annual interest on their accounts once a year to the Foundation. Our Branch colleagues play a huge role in promoting the scheme and encouraging customers to sign up. Without it, the Foundation simply wouldn’t be able to continue supporting so many wonderful charities.

We recently donated £1000 to Bradford Foodbank to support their Job Club, and help foodbank users with CV writing, interview preparation, and searching and applying for jobs.

Josie Barlow, Manager at Bradford Foodbank, said: “This donation will help us support so many people in Bradford who need help making that next step in life. We are so grateful to the Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation and all the colleagues at YBS for supporting Bradford Foodbank.”

We also donated £1800 to Moray Fresh Start to fund starter packs for homeless people.

Chair of Fresh Start, James Workman said: “The Packs include the basic household items that everyone needs when they move into their new homes. The people we’ve helped range from new-born babies and teenage children, right up to people well into their seventies. The feedback from the people who get the packs is always favourable – but what strikes us most is that they appreciate that someone cares.”