STAFF at a building society with roots in Huddersfield have totted up thousands of hours of work for the community.
Employees at the Yorkshire Building Society, which grew from the Huddersfield and Bradford Building Society, spent more than 5,400 hours volunteering to help charities, local schools and good causes across the country during 2012.
That adds up to more than 779 days of work for organisations in local communities.
The mutual’s Actioneering scheme provides opportunities for staff to get involved in the community. Each employee is entitled to 14 hours paid leave a year to take part in such activities.
Among last year’s efforts, teams helped build a giant blue police box for a science festival, ran mentoring schemes for school pupils, created sensory gardens, escorted the elderly on day trips and helped keep animal shelters clean and tidy.
The society also spent time helping children develop their reading skills, spent afternoons with the elderly in care homes and manned the till in their local charity shops.
Bev Cox, corporate responsibility manager, said: “2012 was our most successful year for volunteering where we’ve seen more staff complete more hours at more challenges than ever before.
“Historically, building societies were created to serve their local communities which is a tradition we strongly hope to continue not just with monetary donations but by also donating our time where it’s needed the most”.
