We are extremely pleased to have been able to donate a total of £4,800 to local organisations throughout our branch network in the first Community Support Scheme round of 2023.
The long running scheme allows charities and community groups within our branch network to apply for small grants, usually between £100 and £500. In 2023's first round, we have been able to award nearly £5,000 to 11 worthy organisations.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (West Berkshire)
The donation to the West Berkshire branch of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library will allow the charity to provide 20 children with books that will be posted to them once a month from birth to the age of 5. The books are chosen by early years experts and include fiction, non-fiction, poetry and rhyme.
We're delighted Newbury Building Society are supporting the local Imagination Library programme. The donation will gift 230 books to children across West Berkshire, and as Dolly says, 'you can't get enough books into the hands of enough children!'
Camp Mohawk
Camp Mohawk (registered charity: 278681), who are based near our Wokingham branch, received a donation of £500. Read more about their donation and what it will be used for here.
Hungerford Town Swifts
Hungerford Town Swifts are a grassroots football club who are completely self-funded. Their donation of £100 will go towards the costs of hiring an astroturf pitch to train on, paying referees and other general costs associated with the running of the team.
Newbury Friends of the Earth
Newbury Friends of the Earth's aim is to connect people and make change through green projects, such as the Lockdown Woods. The Lockdown Woods aims to re-green West Berkshire in memory of those lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding received from the Society will enable the group to continue to look after the young saplings in the Lockdown Woods as they grow, and teach visitors about the value of woodland spaces.
Music at the Unicorn
Music at the Unicorn are a not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers in Abingdon who aim bring musicians to the local area, as well as give opportunities to local up and coming musicians. They applied for funding through the Society's scheme to buy a new LED theatre light.
Newbury Building Society will literally be shining a light on the next generation of musicians, actors and dancers from Abingdon and Oxfordshire!
Corn Exchange Newbury Trust
The Corn Exchange Newbury Trust will use their funding to enable them to continue to deliver their Links to Thrive: Arts of Prescription sessions, which improve the wellbeing of vulnerable people in the local community in collaboration with GP surgeries. Examples of the sessions include Art for Wellbeing, Singing for Recovery, and Creative Art Journaling.
Read Easy Swindon and West Berkshire
Read Easy is a national charity (registered charity: 1151288) who support adults throughout the UK to improve their literacy skills. Their donation will be spent on purchasing educational books, posters and leaflets to start training local reading coaches.
Newbury Building Society are going to help non-readers to read, gain confidence, and help them obtain job opportunities. In addition, they will bring joy to the readers when they are able to read with their families. Thank you.
Berkshire Young Farmers
Berkshire Young Farmers are a rural youth organisation dedicated to young people aged 10-28, who have a love of agriculture and countryside. They take part in work throughout their local communities, competitions and social events. Berkshire Young Farmers applied to the scheme for funding to make their upcoming Country Fayre at Newbury Showground in May a success.
Kimel Cafe
The Kimel Cafe are a community cafe which employs local young people who are neurodivergent, giving them a stepping stone into mainstream employment. The cafe have suffered reduced income and customer numbers recently as a large sinkhole nearby meant a long diversion was in place for drivers for four months. Find out more about the £1,000 donation we made here.
Donations were also made to Oxford City and County Bowls Club and Growing Newbury Green.
Want to get involved?
If you are part of a community group or charity that is in need of funding, visit our Community Support Scheme page. Applications for the next round of funding close on Friday 28th April 2023.
