After working closely with the Beverley Cherry Tree Community Centre as one of its charities of the month in 2021, the team at Beverley Building Society knew that the centre was the perfect choice to be its first-ever charity of the year in 2022.
As part of its founding purpose, the building society is committed to giving something back to its local community and its team raised a total of £9,250 for the centre over the last 12 months.
Since 1993, the Cherry Tree Centre, which receives 1,000 calls a month from people in urgent need of help and which was presented with an Aspire Award in 2022 at the Houses of Parliament for its work in the community, has been a lifeline for vulnerable people of all ages across Beverley and the surrounding area.
A wide range of services are available, from advice on issues including money, housing and employment, a community pantry and holiday club, to an outer school club and Little Gruffalos Pre School Nursery.
Karen Wint, who has taken over as chair of the society, delivered the presentation cheque to centre manager Jo Ramsay, along with some of the team from Beverley Building Society.
“The Beverley Cherry Tree Community Centre is there for people who are desperately in need of help, for whatever reason and have nowhere else to go,” she said.
“All communities need these vital services, and I believe we all have a responsibility to ensure that they are protected for future generations.
“I’ve been fortunate to witness first-hand just how much people rely on the Centre, so I’m extremely proud of our team’s hard work and commitment and very grateful for the generosity of everyone who has helped us to make this exciting achievement happen.”
The society started its Charity of the Year campaign by introducing a variety of popular in-branch initiatives over the year.
In addition to a number of raffles, a book exchange and a toy donation box that were all popular with customers, staff also took part in ‘dress-down Fridays’, turning up to work in more casual attire, in return for charitable donations.
Beverley’s Counter Team regularly welcomed some significant donations from the Society’s Board, its members and other private individuals and the Society contributed over £4,500 of the total figure raised, including donating 50p for every vote cast at its 2022 AGM.
Staff decided that a programme of summer fundraising events would help to boost fundraising from the public and soon the funds began rolling in.
In October of last year, society marketing manager, Debbie Connolly was delighted to be invited to the Cherry Tree Centre to witness the excited children from Little Gruffalos nursery sporting some of the 40 warm winter coats that were purchased with the funds from a golf day.
After being presented with a specially made thank you card from some of the children at the cheque presentation, Debbie said: “Despite their difficult circumstances, the children are always so happy to see you and I felt quite emotional knowing that we’d been able to help them and so many other people.
“It’s really humbling to think of what we can achieve when we put our minds to it.
“It’s been an absolute privilege to work with Jo and everyone at the Centre and I’m very proud to have played my part.”
Jo Ramsay, manager of the Beverley Cherry Tree Community Centre, added: “We were honoured to be chosen by Beverley Building Society as its charity of the year for 2022 and we are all truly overwhelmed at receiving such an incredible amount of money, because keeping our services running in the current cost of living crisis is now even more of a challenge.
“The society has far exceeded my expectations of how they have supported us, not just by raising funds, that have and will continue to help us make a difference to people in need moving forwards, but by giving up their time to volunteer with us and raising vital awareness to encourage many more people to support us in the future.
“On behalf of myself and everyone at the Cherry Tree Centre, I’d like to say a huge thank you to both the society and everyone who has contributed to this campaign, in whatever way they could throughout 2022.
“You have helped to change peoples’ lives for the better.”
