A PRIMARY school has received a £500 boost thanks to Yorkshire Bank's employee volunteer grant programme.

The Oaks Primary School in Bolton was awarded the funding to go towards the creation of a gardening allotment within the school grounds, to enable pupils to grow vegetables and learn about nature and the environment.

The grant programme funds charitable initiatives that employees are passionate about and has awarded more than £143,000 funding in total to employees through the programme in the last year.

Employees can apply for a grant of up to £500 if they have been actively involved with local community groups in their own time for at least 12 months.

This includes local charities or not-for-profit organisations such as schools, brownies, scouts or sports groups.

The funding helps the groups continue their work in the local community through the advancement of health, education, protection or improvement of the environment, participation in sport or citizenship and community development.

Jacqui Atkinson, community support manager at Yorkshire Bank, said: “The employee volunteer grant programme recognises the great community work our employees are involved with outside of the bank’s own extensive volunteering programme.

"Any employee that is involved in a charity or not-for-profit organisation in their own time is eligible to apply for a grant.

“We are a strongly customer focused bank, very much committed to serving and supporting the communities we’re part of. Actively encouraging our employees to become involved in voluntary work within their own community through our grants programme is just one way we can support the valuable contribution they make in helping others.”

The employee grants are provided through the Yorkshire and Clydesdale Bank Foundation, a registered charity established by the two banks in 2008.

For further information about The Yorkshire and Clydesdale Bank Foundation, people can visit ybonline.co.uk/foundation