Drax is donating nearly £20,000 to good causes across Yorkshire from its Community Fund.

Some 20 good causes will benefit locally out of 33 nationally from the fund launched last year.

The donations of £500 to £2,000 are for community-led projects which support STEM education and skills, enhance green spaces or improve communities local to its operations.

Bruce Heppenstall, Plant Director at Drax Power Station, said: “I’m really proud of the work Drax does to support the community local to the power station.

“The diversity of organisations that will benefit from the funding announced by our new Community Fund means we will be supporting lots more people across the county, including residents, charities and non-profits, which do really important work to enhance people’s lives here in Yorkshire.

“Through these donations we want to advance participation in STEM education and improve opportunities for people, and we aim to enhance green spaces, so residents have better access to nature.”

The projects in Yorkshire that will receive donations worth £19,050 from the fund, include Women in Tech, York. It encourages young women to go into STEM careers, holding free monthly meetings, where local women can learn about career opportunities and meet role models in the industry.

Other good causes include:

• Marshlands Primary School, in Goole: Pupils have been working with the local council to improve their local park, to install a wildflower patch and improve public facilities in the park.

• Western Wolds Men in Sheds, East Yorkshire: Construction of nesting boxes designed for barn owls and little owls to encourage nesting in the local area.

• Goole Community Concert Band: Helping bring the local community together by starting a local community concert band in the town for all ages.

Graham West, Treasurer of Western Wolds Men in Sheds, said: “With the Drax Community Fund grant we are funding the building of owl boxes.

“At the moment we are working on 12 boxes and building is well in progress. Bob, who is a member and looks after our owl boxes, is now starting to put them up in trees in his area.

“The grant has given members an interesting project to work on – either cutting out the parts, assembling or painting so thank you again”.

Roger White, Member of Goole & East Riding Community Concert Band, said: “This donation from Drax will help launch our new community group of a fully inclusive concert band for our local areas in and around Goole.

“The money will be used to buy musical scores, and other essential equipment for the band giving our community a place to meet, play and enjoy music, something that has been absent in the local area for a long time. Welcoming musicians of all abilities and ages, we hope to perform at bandstands and other local events for the wider community to enjoy. Thank you, Drax Community Fund.”

To find out more about the Drax Community Fund and how to apply for funding, go to the website.