Yorkshire Bank Recognises Community Spirit in Clitheroe

Ribcaged Productions Limited in Clitheroe has been awarded a funding boost of £10,000 through the Yorkshire Bank Spirit of the Community Awards to recognise the important role it plays in the local community.

The Spirit of the Community Awards announced the substantial donations to voluntary groups at an awards ceremony in Leeds to recognise the charities and not-for-profit organisations, which are going the extra mile.

Twelve community groups across England were selected to share funding of £75,000 to make a real difference in their local areas, including Ribcaged Productions Limited – a charity which aims to develop ways to engage with the local community and create dramatic and lively productions through outreach and workshop programmes.

The Yorkshire Bank funding will contribute towards the costs of a project to increase financial understanding for young people through the creation of an interactive play and workshop that will tour local schools and educate pupils about skills to manage money.

Now in their second year, the awards were open to a range of organisations across the third sector, which could demonstrate their support for the local community.  Groups were invited to enter the awards scheme under one of three categories; education, employability and environment.

An overall winning group has been selected in each category securing £10,000 of funding, along with three highly commended winners that were each awarded £5,000.  

John Hooper, Chief Operating Officer at Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks, said: “Yorkshire Bank’s Spirit of the Community Awards recognise and support the important role that voluntary and charitable organisations play in their local communities. It has been inspiring to see the great work that is being done at grass roots level across the country.

“Ribcaged Productions Limited is an extremely deserving winner and has been recognised for its community spirit with this award from Yorkshire Bank.”

Owen Phillips, Ribcaged Artistic Director, said: “It is a dream come true to be acknowledged for the ‘Spirit of the Community’ award and we thank Yorkshire Bank for recognising the work we do. We are delighted to be able to create an exciting project that will benefit young people and the community, which will shed light on the crisis of being in debt and how people cope. 

“The project will be achieved by interviewing local people (anonymously) who have faced debt problems and since changed their lives. From there Ribcaged actors will devise an exciting, engaging, verbatim play, which will tour 10 schools and Ribcaged hopes will be seen by over 5000 young people across Hyndburn and Ribble Valley. Ribcaged will then deliver workshops across local schools.” 

Yorkshire Bank’s sister organisation, Clydesdale Bank, has also announced 12 successful recipients of £75,000 as part of the Spirit of the Community Awards initiative.  This brings the total funds awarded to 24 community groups up and down the country to £150,000.

For further information about Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank Foundation’s Spirit of the Community Awards, please visit www.ybonline.co.uk/foundation

The Yorkshire Bank Spirit of the Community Award Winners are:

 Education category

• Ribcaged Productions Limited
• Emmanuel House
• South Derbyshire Citizens Advice Bureau
• Washington Mind

Employability category

• Young Enterprise
• Action Housing & Support
• Cleveland Housing & Advice Centre
• Leeds Asylum Seekers Support Network

Environment category

• Fir Tree Fishery
• Blue Loop
• Incredible Edible Growing Ltd
• Wildfowl & Wetland Trust (WWT)

Ends

This Media Release and its contents are intended for journalistic and editorial purposes only.  They are not intended as an advert or invitation to customers, or potential customers, to take or enquire about any products and/or services from the Bank.

For further information, contact:

Roanna Katz, The BIG Partnership 0141 333 9585/07846 786 265

Editors’ Notes

Yorkshire Bank

Yorkshire Bank was founded in 1859 in Halifax, West Yorkshire. Yorkshire Bank is a trading name of Clydesdale Bank plc, a subsidiary of the National Australia Bank Group. Yorkshire Bank joined the Group in 1990.