Monmouthshire Building Society are marking a milestone birthday as their Charitable Foundation celebrates 21 years of supporting local causes.
Since it was formed in 2000, the Monmouthshire Building Society Charitable Foundation has contributed over £300,000 to 513 local community groups, organisations and good causes across south Wales and the south west of England.
The Foundation, which is funded by the Newport-based building society, aims to provide modest donations that have a positive impact on the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people in the communities they serve.
Carmarthen-based charity, Cerebra, are just one of the groups who have been supported by the foundation. The charity support children living with a brain condition, and their families. They received funds to purchase sensory toys for their Lending Library, a free service which loans out toys specially chosen for children with brain conditions.
Janet Pugh, Librarian at Cerebra, said: “Our Sensory Suitcases are very popular with our families as they allow them to use a wide range of sensory equipment in one loan. It allows us to keep our waiting lists shorter and allows our service users to try out sensory equipment with their child that they wouldn’t necessarily be able to afford to buy themselves.
“Sensory equipment enhances a child’s quality of life by providing items for play, therapy and learning, as well as enhancing their interactions with other family members. We are incredibly grateful to receive this kind gift from Monmouthshire Building Society, which will help even more children to learn, play and better experience the world around them.”
While the foundation is funded by Monmouthshire Building Society, it operates independently from the Society through a Board of Trustees. The Trustees give up their own time in running the Charitable Foundation and are not paid for the work they do.
Dawn Gunter, Chief Operating Officer at the Monmouthshire Building Society and Trustee of the Charitable Foundation said:
“It’s very important for the Society to be able to support our communities. The Society’s own values are about helping our colleagues, our members and our communities to thrive today and into the future, so by having a charitable foundation that can reach out to offer modest donations that allow those communities to thrive, links incredibly well with our entire purpose.
“In the 21 years since the Charitable Foundation has been in existence, we’ve really benefited people across our communities. We’re really keen to ensure that we continue to support those small charities and local community clubs because we recognise that it can be difficult for them to access the kind of money they need to be able to expand their charity and to be able to support people within their areas. As a Charitable Foundation, we understand that we can play an important part and fill that gap for them to ensure that they can not only survive but to continue to grow and prosper.”
The Charitable Foundation is just one of a number of community initiatives from Monmouthshire Building Society, which also provides sponsorship for local grassroots organisations through their high street branches, and colleague volunteers to local organisations in need of time and manpower.
