A building society celebrating 150 years since its launch in Huddersfield is embarking on a bike tour with a difference.
Yorkshire Building Society, which began as the Huddersfield Equitable Permanent Benefit Building Society in 1864, is following in the tyre tracks of the Tour de France as it invites charities to apply for a slice of £150,000 as part of its 150th Anniversary celebrations.
A bespoke penny farthing bicycle will be travelling to some of the most historic landmarks and destinations in the UK – from Edinburgh Castle to London’s Big Ben. The tour is a call to arms for charities across West Yorkshire to apply for a £10,000 donation from the anniversary fund.
The society has pledged £150,000 to leave a lasting impact in the communities it serves. Charities can apply online to The Lasting Legacy Fund with winning applicants receiving a donation of £10,000.
Society chief executive Chris Pilling said: “We are proud to commemorate our milestone anniversary by helping charities make a positive difference in their communities.
“With this tour, we want to raise awareness of the Lasting Legacy Fund. The charming penny farthing bike pays homage to our past, whilst our charity fund will benefit future generations.”
Initially, 30 charities will be chosen from all the applications received by the society’s legacy committee. Customers and members of the public will then be able to vote online to choose the winning 15 projects that will make the biggest difference to their local communities.
Said Mr Pilling: “We welcome applications from charities that want to have an impact in their community and which can provide a tangible benefit to the people within their local area.”
Charities can apply by visiting www.ybs.co.uk/legacy
FACTFILE
The society was set up by three gentlemen who met each morning from 5am to 8am in a single room in Huddersfield.
Early directors of the society included a dentist, a shoemaker and a plumber. At the end of the first year, there were six borrowers and assets of £4,044 13s 5d.
Two years later, West Yorkshire Building Society was established at the Royal Hotel in Dewsbury with just two staff.
In 1885, Bradford Self Help Permanent Building Society is established in St. George’s Hall Coffee Tavern.
In 1975, the Huddersfield and Bradford societies merged to create the Huddersfield & Bradford Building Society. The society merged with the West Yorkshire Building Society in 1982, creating the Yorkshire Building Society.
Following a series of further mergers, the society, which retains several branches in the Hudersfield area, now boasts assets of about £34.5bn and has 3.4m members.
