Wakefield Hospice has been awarded a £6,000 RBS/NatWest CommunityForce award, thanks to an enthusiastic voting campaign by local residents.
In July this year RBS/NatWest launched CommunityForce, a new initiative to help support local charities, organisations and groups to raise publicity for their work and attract volunteers. The programme also provided the opportunity for three groups in each of their 158 CommunityForce areas to win awards of £6,000 each. Organisations and charities applied for awards during the summer and an on-line public vote then took place to decide which three organisations in each area would receive the awards.
Around 7000 eligible charities and community projects in the UK applied to take part in CommunityForce and over 450,000 votes were cast.
CommunityForce, which forms part of the bank’s Customer Charter, offers organisations more than just financial support. By applying for the awards, local charities and projects became part of a local online network giving them greater visibility and the opportunity to attract volunteers from the local area. RBS/NatWest staff are also getting involved by volunteering their time and expertise.
Julie Jackson was recently appointed Local CEO for RBS/NatWest in Wakefield. Her role is to lead the bank in the local area, helping her branches to deliver the bank’s Customer Charter and support the aim of becoming the UK’s most helpful bank.
Julie Jackson(Local CEO) said: ““We’ve had a fantastic response to CommunityForceand it’s clear that people in Wakefield are passionate about the Wakefield Hospice. Local residents voted for Wakefield Hospice in great numbers and this certainly demonstrates how important this project is to the community.”
Wakefield Hospice Fundraising Manager Ben Collier added "Wakefield Hospice would like to thank everyone who voted for our project and helped us gain a share of this much-needed funding, which will spent on helping our volunteers regenerate the grounds of the Hospice. We could not have won this money without your vote."
