supporting local charities
As a Society we are committed to looking after local interests and a major part of this commitment is our support of local charities. Society staff also contribute their own time to supporting worthwhile causes in the region. These are just a small number of the ways in which we help.
Support of local hospices
Darlington Building Society has been a major supporter of four of the region's local hospices for many years. St. Teresa's Hospice in Darlington, Butterwick Hospice Care in Stockton, Teesside Hospice Care Foundation in Middlesbrough and Hartlepool and District Hospice, all receive annual donations through our Hospice Supporter savings account. For the past few years, at AGM time, the Society has also made a donation to this group of hospices for each completed proxy voting form returned by our members. In 2007 the Society became a member of the Guild of Patrons at Hartlepool & District Hospice and in doing so became the first non-Hartlepool based organisation to join. Visit our News section for more stories about local hospice support.
150th anniversary celebration donations
2006 was the Society's 150th anniversary year. To mark this achievement each branch was allocated £150 to present to the charity of its choice. The beneficiaries chosen were national and local and ranged from the RNLI, the RSPCA, Zoe's Place (a children's hospice) and Parkinson's Society, to name a few. Butterwick Children's Hospice in Stockton received an additional £4,000 through the sale of piggy banks to Society members, who were asked to donate £3 to the charity in exchange for the appealing little piggy banks.
Great North Air Ambulance
Darlington Building Society was the first 'Working in Partnership' sponsor of the Great North Air Ambulance. The service was established in 1991 and is a registered charity. The Society has donated several thousand pounds to help it provide effective and vital air ambulance cover to the region.
Race for Life
Cancer Research UK's Race for Life is the UK’s biggest women-only fundraising event, where women of all ages and fitness abilities run or walk 5km to bring in cash which will be used by the charity to fund research to improve understanding of cancer and investigate how best to prevent, diagnose and treat different forms of the disease. The Society entered a team of 30 employees, plus 4 friends and 4 children into the 2007 local Darlington race, for the second year running, and raised more than £1,000. All the entrants sought their own sponsors but the Society paid their £10 entrance fees to get them started.
