Community groups can apply for £500 boost

This year, the society is offering 164 pots of £500, a total prize fund of £82,000, to small community groups throughout the UK and we are encouraging groups in your area to apply for funding.

Fourteen South East based community groups were among those celebrating at the end of last year after supporters helped them secure £7,000 in funding from Skipton’s Grassroots Giving Scheme.

The winners were chosen by public vote after being shortlisted from almost 1,000 community organisations across the country.

Now in its fifth year, Grassroots Giving was set up to support small community groups which might not normally attract any sort of funding.

Applications open on Tuesday, May 2, and can be made online at www.skiptongrg.co.uk.

The groups which make it to the shortlisting stage in August are then profiled by Skipton Building Society, and then the public will be asked to vote for who they think is the most deserving.

These community groups are all run for their communities, managed by volunteers and are largely self-funded.

They all have unique challenges when faced with running costs and having the funds and resources to grow.

These self-funded groups work hard to improve their community and we’re proud that this funding from Skipton will play a huge role in their future growth.

Often small groups are out on a limb and struggle to gain funding from elsewhere, as they are not registered charities.

Grassroots Giving enables us to really get to the heart of our communities and we love being able to help causes that we see in action in our neighbourhoods.

We know that the money they receive will make an impact and this is really important to us.

As part of its Grassroots Giving initiative, Skipton Building Society has also launched a series of free resources covering a range of key areas for community groups, which can all be downloaded for free at www.skiptongrg.co.uk/free-resources.

To provide further added value the society also provides a social network specifically to help community and voluntary groups get better connected, acting as a ‘hub’ for all Grassroots Giving followers, winners and past/future applicants, to enable knowledge sharing and networking.

Skipton Building Society launched its Grassroots Giving programme as part of its 160th anniversary celebrations in 2013.

Roy Prenton,

Corporate Communications Consultant

Skipton Building Society

The Bailey

Skipton

North Yorkshire

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