Skipton Charitable Foundation

Giving something back...

The Skipton Building Society Charitable Foundation is just one of the ways the Society gives something back to the communities in the UK where our members live.

How we work

The Skipton Building Society Charitable Foundation was established in February 2000 and is exclusive to registered charities and support is given by way of direct donations. The Society makes an annual payment to the Foundation to fund these grants.

Independent of the Society and its policies, the Foundation's decisions are determined by a Board of Trustees, the majority of which are independent of the Society.

The Charitable Foundation is run by seven trustees, including five who are independent of the Society. It's their job to decide which good causes will benefit from our support. The foundation is supported by two volunteer administrators.

Here's how the Charitable Foundation has helped:

We've given away over £1.6 million since our first donation in 2000
We've given donations to over 400 good causes
We donated £150,000 to around 85 good causes in 2015

What we support

We will consider donations:

To registered charities based in the UK, particularly in areas near the Society's Principal Office or one of its branches
Where there is clear and immediate benefit to the recipients in the UK
Where charities' objectives are to benefit children, through education and/or welfare, youth schemes and projects, or the elderly and their care
Where the charity can provide its last two years' annual accounts
Up to £3,000

We won't consider donations:

To non-registered charities or individuals
To activities which are primarily the responsibility of central or local government or other responsible bodies
Towards running costs including rent or staff wages
Towards restoration or upkeep of buildings
Towards holidays (with the possible exception of respite care) or overseas travel
Towards fundraising events, sponsorship or marketing appeals
Towards the cost or maintenance of vehicles
Towards the cost of counselling
To large national charities
From charities which have successfully applied to the Foundation within the previous 5 years
From charities which have applied to the Foundation within the previous two years

Lineham Farm

Who we have helped

Some of the charities who have recently benefitted from the Charitable Foundation:

Action for Family Carers

£2,530 for day center facilities

Skipton Building Society's £2,530 donation will help improve facilities at the Maldon day centre.

Family carers are benefitting from the work of the Action for Family Carers who are providing respite breaks to allow carers time to do something for themselves.

The charity, which provides advocacy, adult carer support groups, school based support for young carers and respite services for unpaid family carers in Maldon as well as across Essex, has been given £2,530 to purchase an Automatic shower toilet for its day centre in Maldon from Skipton Building Society's Charitable Foundation scheme.

The money will be used to purchase an automatic shower toilet and lifter for the day centre allowing people with mobility issues to attend the centre as well as providing social interaction. Action for Family carers will be able to make a positive difference to the lives of carers by providing high quality support services in a time of need.
Lineham Farm

£2,000 for children's centre facilities

A children's centre in Leeds has been given a financial boost as it looks to help more disabled and disadvantaged youngsters.

Kids from schools all over Leeds come and stay for a week of fun, frolics and discovery at Lineham Farm Children's Centre, in Eccup. You name it, they do it - from climbing our high-ropes course and night walks, to orienteering and mini beast discovery, mountain biking and organic gardening, to heart start - Lineham's very own first aid course.

Now, having secured a £2,000 donation from Skipton Building Society's Charitable Foundation, officials are looking to expand facilities, including extending a jump trail bike track and providing special storage containers for adapted bikes.

Clare Beard, fund-raiser and event co-ordinator at Lineham Farm, said:

"We're a registered charity and are funded by various sources, including kind personal and corporate contributions such as the one from Skipton. We are very grateful for their donation.

"Our breaks are for school kids aged 8–12 who would benefit from a week of horizon-broadening, confidence-building activity. We're also fully equipped for kids with disabilities up to 18 years of age.

"You can rest assured that all the children leave the farm thoroughly content, happy and maybe just a little tired."

converted 17th century farm, Lineham Farm is set in beautiful Yorkshire countryside a few miles north of Leeds.

Julia Barrow, manager at the Society's Leeds branch, said:

"The work done at Lineham Farm is truly inspirational and helps so many disabled and disadvantaged children. It's a pleasure for Skipton to be able to support such a venture. "
Little House Community Centre

Little House Community Centre

£1,260 for furniture

Meal times will be much more comfortable for people who use a luncheon club in Bingley.

A £1,260 donation from Skipton Building Society's Charitable Foundation means that Shipley and Bingley Voluntary Services can buy 12 new tables for the Little House Community Centre, in the centre of Bingley, just off Market Street.

Paul Stephens, Voluntary Services' Chief Executive, said:

"Some of the tables had become worn and were no longer level, so it is wonderful that Skipton's donation means that we can replace them with more sturdy furniture!"

"The luncheon club provides elderly people in our area with the chance to get together and enjoy company and friendship. It's important that they are as comfortable as possible so the new tables will make a real difference."

Heather Hebdon, manager at the Society's Bingley branch, said:

"At Skipton, we are always pleased to help local good causes and we know that the luncheon club is a popular and important service here in Bingley. We hope that our donation to buy new tables makes it a much more comfortable experience for those who attend the club."

North East Autism Society

£1,532 for play equipment

Children who suffer from autism will get a playtime boost thanks to a £1,532 donation from Skipton Building Society’s Charitable Foundation.

The money will help purchase Air Rider play equipment for the Thornhill Park School in Sunderland which supports learning and development of skills to enable children with autism to participate in activities, opportunities and daily activities.

The North East Autism Society, which runs the school, takes an individual approach to supporting children with the aim of removing anxieties and giving them an opportunity to thrive and develop to the best of the abilities.

Susan Tron, trust raiser for the charity, said:

"The North East Autism Society was delighted to receive the grant for the Air Rider play equipment. This grant will make a massive difference to the children in our care who have autism and other complex disabilities. These children experience real limitations to their ability to become involved play.

"In addition children with autism have a sensory system that is permanently on overload which leads to anxiety and challenging behaviour. Playtime and encouraging movement is an important factor in maintaining physical and mental health and wellbeing and even more so for children with autism.

"Because our children spend a lot of time in therapy or just relying on adults to get them around play can be an opportunity to regain their childhood and appreciate the things that other children take for granted. The Air Rider will be placed at our Thornhill Park School for Autism in Sunderland. I can’t wait to see their faces when they return after the school holidays!"

Ann Morton, manager of the Skipton’s Newcastle Branch, said: "The North East Autism Society is a specialist charity in the North East and works to help children to grow and achieve their aspirations, as well as providing education on the impacts of autism. We at Skipton are delighted to help progress this fantastic work and help individuals and their families manage autism."
Buttercup Children's Trust

£1,000 towards massage vest

Families who suffer when children become victims of serious illness are finding comfort from the work of the Buttercup Children’s Trust.

Now the truly inspirational work of the charity, which helps youngsters all around the country, has been given a £1,000 financial boost from Skipton Building Society’s Charitable Foundation scheme.

The money will ensure the charity can continue to provide help and support to the families of children throughout the UK who suffer from life-changing illnesses, such as blindness, deafness, cystic fibrosis and leukaemia.

The Buttercup Children’s Trust helps provide travel to and from hospital, respite care, medical equipment and holidays. At the most tragic time, the Trust even helps fulfil a child’s last wishes, such as visiting the seaside to build sandcastles. Previous help has included giving a grant for hospital travel expenses to parents as their daughter battled bone cancer and a donation to a girl with heart and liver disease. The money allowed her family to take her on holiday in Dorset after she underwent surgery.

Debi Mackney, the fundraising co-ordinator of Buttercup Children’s Trust, said: "We are extremely thankful for this donation from Skipton. We carry out a great deal of charitable work with ill children and their families throughout the UK, and none of it would be possible without the kind donations we receive from members of the public and companies alike. Skipton’s contribution has made a great difference to a life and has boosted morale here at the Buttercup Children’s Trust."

Louise Hudson-Ghafoor, branch manager of the Skipton’s Bradford branch, said: "The Buttercup Children’s Trust is well-known within the Bradford branch for being a real pillar of hope for many families. They help so many people and it’s nice to see them so happy to receive this donation from the Charitable Foundation."

Skipton Building Society’s donation will go towards a £9,000 massage vest which will help an eight-month-old baby suffering from cystic fibrosis.
Silsden Methodist Church

Silsden Methodist Church

£545 towards furniture

Visitors to Silsden Methodist Church will benefit from a £545 donation from Skipton Building Society’s Charitable Foundation.

Church officials want to provide more reading material for groups which use the building, with around 500 people visiting every week.

And now Skipton has provided the money to purchase a new bookcase and cupboard in which to store the material.

Andy Bulcock, regional manager at the Society’s Silsden branch, said:

"The Methodist Church has hundreds of visitors each week so we are pleased to make this donation which will buy a smart new bookcase and ensure books and other reading matter are kept safe and secure."

Tim Sharp, church secretary, said:

"In addition to the church’s own activities, we place ourselves as an outreach in the local community and provision of a safe place. Our aim is to provide reading material for groups which use the building. We already open to serve refreshments on four mornings a week and at other times as well.

"I would like to thank Skipton Building Society for this generous donation which means we can now purchase a new bookcase and cupboard."

Frequently Asked Questions

What will the foundation support?

The Charitable Foundation supports registered charities with donations to enable specific tangible items or activities to be purchased rather than donating to general funds.

The foundation requests that the items are to be used directly by beneficiaries and anticipate that the charity becomes the owner of that equipment, responsible for the on-going upkeep and maintenance.

The following list provides some examples of activities likely to fall within our main areas of focus:

Sensory toys and equipment for children with special needs
Items to care for isolated and/or vulnerable elderly people
Support of specially adapted equipment to be used by people with physical / mental / communication disabilities
Apparatus for children with special needs
Items or tangible social activities for Community Centres providing a benefit to many in the local community
Provision of tangible and social interaction activities for the vulnerable and/or isolated.

What won't the foundation support?

Although all applications will be considered carefully, there may be projects or activities that could be regarded as registered charities, but which do not fall within the Charitable Foundation's priorities or meet other criteria.

The following are (non-exhaustive) examples of projects or activities which the Charitable Foundation considers do not fall within its priority or other criteria and which it would not therefore intend to support.

Applications for general on-going funding, running costs, research, sponsorship, payment of salaries or expenses
Requests for any administration equipment such as telephones, security systems or computers, for a charity's own use
Causes serving only a specific sector of the community selected on the basis of ethnic, racial, political or religious grounds/advancement
Overseas travel, expeditions or educational expenses, including causes that would otherwise qualify for support but require funds for activities outside the UK
Support of activities in, or equipment for mainstream schools, sports clubs, scouts/guides groups, local/government funded bodies

How long do I have to wait for a decision?

The Trustees usually meet quarterly in March, June, September and December. Following the meeting we will write to you and let you know whether or not your application has been successful.

You only donate to registered charities, what does this mean?

The Charitable Foundation only supports charities registered with the Charity Commission with at least one year of published accounts covering a 12 month period.

Can I email my application?

You can email your completed application and supporting documentation to CharitableFoundation@skipton.co.uk.

We are not UK based, can we apply?

The Foundation will only consider donations to registered charities based in the UK.

We are a new charity and don't have any accounts yet. Can we still apply?

The Charitable Foundation only supports charities with at least one year of published accounts covering a 12 month period.

Do you have to have an account with Skipton Building Society?

No. The Charitable Foundation was established by Skipton Building Society and is funded by an annual donation from the Society, but makes its decisions independently.

Are applications limited?

The Charitable Foundation's support is limited to beneficiaries within the UK. Following a successfully application, a charity must wait 5 years before re-applying. If an application was unsuccessful a charity must wait 2 years before re-applying.

How much can I apply for?

Charities that apply to the Foundation will be considered for donations up to £3,000.

The Charitable Foundation's emphasis is on smaller amounts to ensure as many good causes as possible throughout the UK are supported.

When considering requests for donations we may need to ask for additional information from the applicant or from third parties to substantiate the application (e.g. copy invoices/proof of price and/or purchase, references and evidence as to how our support has benefited recipients)

Will the foundation make donations to general fundraising appeals?

No. However, the foundation may consider applications for specific items as part of a wider appeal.

How to apply

Click below for a copy of our application form. This contains full details of how to apply.

Download Application Form

PDF format

Your application must include your latest two years' financial accounts and should be sent to:

Secretary to the Charitable Foundation
Skipton Building Society
The Bailey
Skipton
North Yorkshire
BD23 1DN