Staff from Yorkshire Building Society’s Ashton-under-Lyne branch have completed an 11.5-mile sponsored walk to help raise money for food redistribution charities The Felix Project and FareShare.
Five colleagues laced up their walking boots for the challenge, setting off from Portland Basin in Ashton-under-Lyne before following the Peak Forest Canal to Romiley and returning to their starting point.
The fundraising effort has helped Yorkshire Building Society achieve its target of raising £1 million during its partnership with The Felix Project and FareShare.
FareShare, the UK’s leading food redistribution charity, recently merged with The Felix Project to create a larger national organisation dedicated to reducing food waste and supporting communities. Through a network of regional partners, it redistributes surplus good-quality food to more than 8,000 charities and community groups across the country. As well as providing meals for those in need, these organisations offer a range of support services, including helping people overcome barriers to employment.
Yorkshire Building Society’s partnership with the charities, which runs until autumn 2026, funds the Building Skills for the Future programme. The initiative helps people facing financial hardship improve their employability through work experience, qualifications, CV writing support and interview preparation, alongside financial wellbeing advice.
So far, almost 2,100 people have benefited from the programme, with 153 participants progressing into paid employment.
Amanda Allwood, branch manager at Yorkshire Building Society in Ashton-under-Lyne, thanked everyone who had supported the fundraising effort.
She said: “Thank you to everyone who has supported us with sponsorship and donations. Your generosity will help The Felix Project and FareShare continue its vital work through the Building Skills for the Future programme, which has a life-changing impact on the people it supports.
“Our sponsored walk was a challenge, but also a great opportunity to spend time together as a team and appreciate our local area.”
Gareth Batty, Director of Network at The Felix Project and FareShare, said the partnership was helping to tackle one of the root causes of poverty.
“Our employability programmes help people who may be vulnerable take positive steps into stable, sustainable work,” he said. “The support we provide helps individuals recognise their strengths, overcome barriers and seize opportunities that can transform their future.
“Our partnership with Yorkshire Building Society is crucial in expanding this work, enabling us to help thousands more people while strengthening our ability to get good surplus food to communities that need it.”
The Building Skills for the Future programme operates in locations including Yorkshire, Merseyside, London, Bristol, Milton Keynes, Edinburgh and Cardiff. Together, the employability and financial wellbeing initiatives aim to help 2,500 people improve their job prospects and become more financially resilient.