A Huddersfield man is hoping to bring the people in his town a little bit closer together after being nominated as a Community Ambassador for the Halifax bank.

David Williams is already a familiar face in the area after volunteering at a host of good causes in recent times.

And David, who has worked at the Halifax branch in North Lane, Headingley, for the last two years, said he was thrilled to be given the chance to make a difference to the lives of those around him.

Halifax has handpicked 70 members of staff from across the country who were selected for their love of helping people and wanting to bring about change in their lives.

As well as continuing with their day-to-day jobs, the Community Ambassadors will galvanise people to help the good causes Halifax already supports through the Big Lunch, Giving Extra Awards, and Home-Start volunteering as well as looking at new areas to make a difference.

“I have found that taking on the role of the Community Ambassador is extremely rewarding, I have met people I would not previously have met,” said David, who has worked for the Halifax for the last 36 years.

“With the Big Lunch this summer, I went into care homes and met some amazing people, offering advice but also getting advice.

“When we had the Tour de France in Yorkshire this summer, we set up exercise bikes in branch which replicated the first day of the tour and we biked 191km to raise money.

“It is not just a role to take on for the sake of doing it, it’s something that we want people to aspire to take on. We do it because we want to do it and it’s something we will be carrying on.”

The initiative is part of Lloyds Banking Group’s Helping Britain Prosper Plan, which aims to bring communities together and help them thrive.

For David, that has meant taking part and organising a variety of events.

“I am more inclined to step out and become more active in the community in this role which I may not have done before,” he said. “For example, I went to see an old lady who was unable to get from her home to branch and instead went to her and discussed savings options available to her.

“I am much more aware that we have quite a high proportion of older clients who may not be able to get into the branch as readily.”

Halifax is helping people give extra in their communities, whether hosting a Big Lunch event, or making their community a better place to live. Visit www.halifaxcommunities.co.uk