Nationwide puts up £3.2m to address social exclusion

by Gill Montia

Story link: Nationwide puts up £3.2m to address social exclusion

Nationwide has committed £3.2 million in support of disadvantaged groups across the UK.

The money is available to address issues of housing and financial exclusion through a new grant programme and an investor programme.

Applications for grants of up to £300,000 can be made to the building society’s charitable foundation and are invited from registered charities that tackle financial exclusion affecting disadvantaged groups and/or address housing issues and homelessness among vulnerable groups in the UK.

The defining criteria for “disadvantaged” and “vulnerable” are as follows: survivors of domestic abuse; people aged 70 and older; those aged 50 and above who have dementia; those aged 50 and above from black and minority ethnic groups; over 50s who are carers for family members or partners who are also 50 years and older; over 50s who have experienced or are experiencing financial abuse and over 50s who are rurally isolated.

The Investor Programme offers three year grants of up to £300,000 to registered charities with incomes not exceeding £10 million.

The Small Grants Programme makes grants of up to £5,000 to registered charities with incomes of under £500,000.

Nationwide Foundation’s chief executive, Lisa Parker, comments: “As the economic situation continues to worsen, we feel it is important to launch a new grants programme … without financial education many people will not know how to survive the current harsh economic realities, which is why we are paying particular attention to the minority groups who are most vulnerable and most in need.”