We often like to do our bit in the community, as regular followers of our blog will know. A big part of our work is through our Mutual Advantage partnerships, where we’re helping nine local charities develop and grow their presence in the community.
Through our Mutual Advantage account, you can earn interest on your savings while supporting a local charity. Each of our branches is partnered with an individual charity present in the local area. Every year on 1 July, each charity receives a donation from the Society in the form of a 1% bonus calculated on the average account balance of all Mutual Advantage accounts opened at their partner branch.
We’re delighted to say that this year we’ve donated more than £6,000 across our nine Mutual Advantage charities. The Sudbury branch beneficiary partner, The Smile of Arran Trust, received a bonus of £1,645. The charity was launched as a tribute to the late Arran, a 13-year-old who passed away a week after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. His mum, dad and sisters created the charity to help other families whose lives have been affected by a brain tumour.
Alison Tosh, Arran’s mother and the cofounder of The Smile of Arran Trust, said: “We’re delighted with the support we have received from the Sudbury branch of Ipswich Building Society and, of course, the members who hold a Mutual Advantage account. It is an amazing amount of money which will really help us provide financial assistance to children and families who have been affected by a brain tumour.”
Our other charity beneficiary partners include Aldeburgh United Charities, Halesworth Volunteer Centre, REACH, Ipswich Housing Action Group, 4YP, Home Start, Supported Activities for Everyone and the Shelley Centre for Therapeutic Riding.
Our beneficiary partners are reviewed each year on 1 July, meaning that we can spread funding across a wide variety of charities and organisations across Suffolk.
