SKIPTON Building Society is helping to bring some festive cheer to the Craven area by donating £5,750 to the Skipton Foodbank.

The gift is part of a £27,000 national aid scheme being run by the Society with each of its 88 branches across the UK donating £250 to their local foodbanks.

The donation to Skipton Foodbank includes a donation of £5,000 from Society’s head office plus additions from the Skipton, Cross Hills and Settle branches.

According to figures in May 2021, approximately 2.5 million people in the UK have used a foodbank, over 60,000 more people than in 2020.

The money donated by the Society will go directly to the foodbanks in order for them to purchase the items that are needed most this Christmas.

Stacey Stothard, Skipton’s head of corporate communications and sustainability, said “At Skipton, we are delighted to support the fantastic work that foodbanks carry out day in and day out.

“We are passionate about helping people find their good place, and at Christmas, somehow that just feels more important than ever and we hope that Skipton’s donations make a different to the communities across England and Scotland.”