supporting local charities
The Society is 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 sample of the charities supported in 2010.
Society Connects with Care Home
Elderwood Residential Care Home based in Darlington has bought a giant "Connect Four" game with the help of a donation from Darlington Building Society.
The 40-bed home holds a number of different daily activities for its residents ans the new novelty-sized Connect Four game will be used in the leisure room where games of skittles, mini-basketball and film days are also held.
Hartlepool Branch Supports Zoe's Place Baby Hospice
The Hartlepool branch of Darlington Building Society once again ran its annual Christmas raffle in 2010 in support of Zoe's Place Baby Hospice.
The raffle, as usual, was organised by long-serving staff member, Hazel Coote, Customer Service Assistant at the branch who has worked for the Society for over 40 years. Over 1500 tickets were sold raising over £350 for this local hospice, helping it in the valuable work it does in the region.
Donations Help Develop Darlington Community Cafe
Darlington Building Society and County Durham Community Foundation have supported an initiative which provides training and volunteering opportunities.
The Society has made a contribution to JJ's Soup Kitchen which promotes enterprise opportunities for people with learning disabilities and enables them to access and participate in activities within the community. Seven adults with learning disabilities work in the cafe which operates at Clifton Community Centre within St Columba's Church in Darlington.
Support for TFM and Magic 1170's Cash For Kids Appeal Continues
The Society continued its long-running support for the Annual TFM & Magic 1170's Cash For Kids Appeal in 2010. The aim of the Appeal is to benefit children aged up to 17 years old living in real poverty within Tees Valley, County Durham and North Yorkshire.
The Society's thirteen branches were made available as dropping off points with some customers also making cash donations. The annual Christmas appeal helped deliver a record £481,000 worth of toys and gifts to 13,889 of the area's most deprived children.
Bishop Auckland Branch Supports Cystic Fibrosis Trust
The Bishop Auckland branch of Darlington Building Society provided support to an exciting charity event in aid of Cystic Fibrosis during the past year. The Society funded the cost of printing all the posters and tickets for the event, ensuring that all the funds raised went directly to this worthy cause.
The Charity Night, which boasted entertainment from the Tees Valley Jazzmen and 1940's style singers, The Fenner Sisters, took place in July 2010 in West Auckland and raised hundreds of pounds for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
