Yorkshire Building Society to support Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture
Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture has confirmed Yorkshire Building Society (YBS) 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.
Bradford remains at the heart of YBS’s operations, with thousands of colleagues serving members from its headquarters on Rooley Lane and branches and agencies across the city district.
YBS played a key role as a Bid Champion in 2021 when the city successfully competed for the UK City of Culture 2025 status.
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 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.”
