Bath Building Society has chosen its first charity of the year – Bath Gateway Out and About, which provides help and support to people aged 18-plus with a learning disability.
It is also one of nine charities and community groups sharing £7,000 from the society’s Annual Charity Awards scheme. A further four organisations have received a pair of Bath Building Society hot air balloon tickets which they can use to raise funds.
The awards – now in their eighth year – were established to support as many local initiatives as possible from the growing number of requests for support received by the society each week. However, this year the society decided to also nominate a local good cause as its charity of the year.
As well as supporting its clients, Bath Gateway Out and About’s help extends to their families, dependants and carers. It also promotes awareness of learning disabilities and encourages independence among people with a learning disability
Bath Gateway Out and About development officer Becky Morgan said: “We, the volunteers and all the members of Bath Gateway Out and About, are absolutely delighted that Bath Building Society is awarding us £1,000.
“This will be put to very good use as it will go towards the running costs of our very special club that our members so very much enjoy. We are all so very grateful for this award. We are also very honoured that Bath Building Society has decided to take us on as their chosen charity and we very much look forward to an eventful year ahead.”
The society will now support fundraising events staged by Bath Gateway Out and About for the next 12 months. It will also be the main charity for the Bath Rotary Fireworks display at The Rec in November. Bath Building Society has sponsored the event for 39 years.
Its chief executive Dick Jenkins said: “The awards are very important to us and are a way for the society to give something back to our local community. It is amazing the work that these organisations do and the local people that they help; and on such little funding, I’m just glad we can help.
“I am really pleased how the number of applications continues to increase year on year.”
He thanked his fellow judges, deputy mayor Cllr Lisa Brett, Rotary Club Bath president Alan Keeling, Imogen Sellers from the BBC and the society’s PR and communications manager Tiffany Hardie-Evans.
“It was a tough competition but we found our winners in the end,” he said.
Mr Keeling addd: “I was delighted to be asked to help with this year’s judging. The task was made very difficult owing to the number of worthy charities we had to choose from. I hope the money received will help all the successful charities to continue their good work over the coming year.”
Bath Building Society, which was established in 1904, services more than 10,000 savers and 1,200 mortgage customers.
Full list of winners:
Greenlinks, Bath – £1,500
Bath Gateway Out & About – £1,000, also Charity of the Year
Keynsham & District Mencap – £1,000
Bath FoodCycle – £1,000
The Bath Toy Library – £500
Bristol Male Voice Choir, Bristol – £500
Articulate, Bath – £500
Cambrook House, Bath –£500
Bath Mind – a pair of Balloon Tickets
DanceVoice – a pair of Balloon Tickets
Friends of St Saviours Infants School – a pair of Balloon Tickets
Golden Oldies – a pair of Balloon Tickets
Pictured, from left: Fran Zuch, Becky Morgan, Dick Jenkins, The Mayor of Bath Cllr Cherry Beath and Alan Keeling
