Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture has announced Yorkshire Building Society as a Major Supporter.
The partnership will see the 160-year-old mutual work with the programme over three years to help support its aim of increasing employment opportunities and skills across the district.
Yorkshire Building Society has a long heritage in the Bradford area. One of the mutual’s founding organisations, the Bradford Self Help Permanent Building Society, was established in the St George’s Hall Coffee Tavern in 1885, and the city remains at the heart of its operations, with thousands of colleagues serving members from its headquarters on Rooley Lane and branches and agencies across the city district. The Society played a key role as a Bid Champion in 2021 when the City successfully competed for the UK City of Culture 2025 status.
The sponsorship is part of the Society’s ongoing investment into Bradford. Since 2022 the mutual has supported over 2,200 individuals through programmes that help improve employability and skills in communities across the district. Most recently, Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation announced the Building Bradford Skills fund which will provide £1million in grants to charities in Bradford’s most deprived areas to improve employability.
Susan Allen, Chief Executive of Yorkshire Building Society said: “As a mutual, we are committed to the communities we support and, as one of the oldest organisations in Bradford, Yorkshire Building Society is proud to support Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.
“We’re committed to investing in Bradford, our heartland, to improve skills, employability, and ultimately financial wellbeing for all our communities and the City of Culture will bring opportunity, pride, and optimism to the area.
“The City of Culture will not only celebrate what a uniquely vibrant, young and diverse city Bradford is, but also bring inward investment which will boost the local economy, create opportunities for people within our community to learn new skills and create a more prosperous future.”
Dan Bates, Executive Director, Bradford 2025 said: “I’m thrilled to announce our partnership with Yorkshire Building Society, a Bradford-based organisation that works nationally, that shares our commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for young people across the UK.
“As we approach Bradford 2025, this partnership will play a pivotal role in ensuring that the next generation not only experiences the transformative power of culture but also sees it as a pathway to their future. Together, we’re not just planning a year of events; we’re opening doors for young people across our city and the UK, inspiring them to dream big and realise that their future can be built right here in Bradford.”
Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture will be a celebration of Bradford, its cultures and its people. From artists to businesses, schools to community groups, people across the city will help to create a year of culture that could only happen in Bradford.
