A £1 MILLION fund to help local charities and good causes supporting communities affected by the cost of living has been announced by NatWest Group including a £160k pot for the South West.

The £1 million fund will be distributed by the bank’s boards in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and regional boards throughout England.

NatWest’s frontline colleagues in local branches and offices will be nominating good causes that they have chosen from their communities, to save charities finding time to nominate themselves, or individuals on their behalf.

The fund forms part of a wider £5.7 million commitment announced by NatWest Group to provide cost of living support across the UK through partner organisations including the Federation of Small Business, the Trussell Trust, and Responsible Finance.

Over the last year the bank has provided £40 million cost of living support to its personal customers and community partners and this latest fund reaffirms its commitment to help people, families, and businesses with the rising cost of living.

Paul Edwards, chair of the NatWest South West Board, said: “This local funding is a real opportunity for us to tailor the support we provide to charities and organisations in the South West who are delivering vital support to our communities.

“Our colleagues throughout the South West will be shaping how the money is donated, nominating the good causes that are making a difference in their towns and villages.”

Raghu Narula, NatWest Group’s managing director of customer engagement & distribution, said: “We are a bank driven by our purpose and values and right now that is to help our colleagues, customers and the communities they live in through the challenges faced with cost of living.

“The funding we are providing directly to our boards across the UK means that we are targeting support on a local level where it can have maximum impact.”