CHARITIES across Warrington are being urged to apply for grants of up to £5,000 from the Vernon Building Society.
Vernon Building Society has two funding programmes open at the moment and is actively looking for grant applications from Warrington charities, social enterprises and grassroots organisations before the deadline of 29 August, 2025.
Since launching in January 2024 the Vernon Charitable Foundation has given out £73,500 to 24 local charities. It was launched to create a lasting legacy across Greater Manchester and Cheshire as part of Vernon Building Society’s centenary celebrations last year.
Earlier this year, five charities shared £8,800 for a range of different community projects, including a £2,000 grant to Warrington’s Longford Neighbourhoods Services Centre to help refurbish their building and a grant for £2,100 to provide new tables and chairs for Oughtrington Community Centre in Lymm.
Last year a further four charities in Cheshire received Vernon Charitable Foundations grants, including Bare Necessities Toiletry Bank in Wilmslow which received £4,500 and NHS East Cheshire which received £4,200 to build a dementia garden at Macclesfield Hospital.
Vernon Building Society Chief Executive Darren Ditchburn says “The latest round of our Charitable Foundation funding application is now open, and we’re eager to hear from charities across Cheshire that work to relieve poverty or develop their local community. It’s a really simple application and it may result in a grant of up to £5,000.
“We know local not-for-profits are struggling to survive right now. Vernon Charitable Foundation is just one of the many ways that we’re helping them. We also support local grassroot organisations and social enterprises via a separate funding programme called Community Stars, which gives out smaller grants of up to £2,000 for worthy causes, including those not registered as a charity.
“Over the past 13 years we have donated over £140,000 via Community Stars to fund everything from local transportation, to new equipment, room hire and food. We know these small donations go a long way. Our grant applications for Community Stars close on August 11, so we urge people to be quick and apply before the deadline, however applications will open up again later in the year.”
A number of organisations cross Cheshire have received Community Stars grants in 2025 already. One of which was Poynton’s Open Hands charity, which received a grant to help towards running costs for its provision of community transport volunteer drivers for vulnerable people needing medical appointments.
Darren continues: “We’re committed to our community and want to see our Members and local residents thrive. We do this by helping them to own their home and grow their savings. As a mutual, we invest our profits back into the Society, which enables us to support local charities and community groups by donated grants to good causes, volunteering our time and skills to help local initiatives thrive, sponsoring community events, investing in financial education at local schools or loaning out use of our offices to local businesses. We believe that together, we’re greater.”
Vernon Building Society colleagues have so far volunteered a total of 35 days in 2025, with staff giving their time to support nine different organisations such as WellSpring, Together Trust, Avro Heritage Museum and Grit Studios, where the Vernon’s Leadership Team helped create a new community garden and green space for residents.
The Vernon has also supported over 1,400 students across Cheshire and Greater Manchester with financial education this academic year, including students from Poynton High School. Through training partner WizeUp, students have been taught about how the taxation system works, the importance of a pension, how to build a positive credit rating and how to apply for student finance.
Vernon Charitable Foundation grant applications need to be submitted by 29 August 2025 via https://www.thevernon.co.uk/charitable-foundation/.
Vernon Building Society’s Community Starts grant applications need to be submitted by 5pm on 11 August 2025 via https://www.thevernon.co.uk/community-hub/community-stars/
All successful applications will be notified within four weeks.
