Principality selects Mind Cymru as its 2015 Charity of the Year
Wales’ largest building society has announced it will support Mind Cymru as its 2015 Charity of the Year. Staff at Principality Building Society’s Cardiff-based head office, 53 branches and 18 agencies across Wales and the borders voted for Mind Cymru, which exists to make sure anyone in Wales experiencing a mental health problem has somewhere to turn for advice and support, as their latest official charity.
Julie-Ann Haines, Customer Director at Principality Building Society, said:
“We are delighted to announce Mind Cymru as our 2015 Charity of the Year. Every year our staff choose a cause close to their hearts, always going above and beyond to think up new ways of supporting them, and I’m sure this year will be no different. The charity does fantastic work to help the people of Wales and we hope the money that we raise throughout the year will allow Mind Cymru to help even more people in our Welsh communities.”
Mind Cymru Interim Director Janet Pardue-Wood said:
“We’re thrilled that Principality Building Society has chosen Mind Cymru to be its Charity of the Year for 2015. The support from Principality will help us make sure anyone with a mental health problem has somewhere to turn for advice and support. Together, we can continue to make a real difference to the lives of the 1 in 4 people who experience mental health problems in Wales every year. We know that Principality’s 1,000 staff will be undertaking a vast range of imaginative fundraising activities and we want to thank them for all the hard work they will put into this year’s efforts.”
Every year Principality raises money for a different Charity of the Year. The charity is nominated by a member of staff at the Society and then shortlisted among five others, before being voted as the official charity by staff.
All the money raised in 2015, to be donated to Mind Cymru, to support the charity. One of its priorities is to support the network of 20 local Minds to deliver services in communities around Wales. Local Minds offer direct support to people with mental health problems, including drop-in centres, counselling services and community projects.
In 2014, Principality raised a record total of more than £86,000 for its 2014 Charity of the Year, MS Society Cymru.
Throughout the year staff at the Society’s Cardiff head office, 53 branches and 18 agencies completed a range of activities including gruelling triathlons, bathing in a bath of beans and shaving their head to raise the final total of £86,156.