CHARITIES in York and North Yorkshire have benefitted from £269,794 from the Lloyds TSB Foundation in the past year.

The Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales is one of only a few grant makers that provide support towards much needed core costs, such as salaries and rent, for small and medium charities.

Among those to benefit in York in 2011 was the York Blind and Partially Sighted Society which received £30,000 towards their rent, heating and lighting costs, while York Welfare Benefits Unit got £42,100 to help cover the salary and costs of a family support worker as well as recruitment, rent, admin and office costs.

Relate York and Harrogate received a grant of £12,600 to cover the salary costs of the counsellors and group worker including supervision.

Ryedale CAB got £37,700 to help meet the salary costs of their immigration advice worker as well as additional costs.

Anna Harland, services manager at York Blind and Partially Sighted Society, said: “We have found the money very very helpful especially in the light of other funding cuts that we have come up against this year.

“We are very grateful to Lloyds TSB for their continued support because it means that we can carry on offering care and support to people in the community.”

Elsewhere in North Yorkshire, Scarborough Advocacy Alliance received £25,000 to help cover the salary and costs of a parents advocacy co-ordinator as well as management, admin, rent, and training costs.

Linda Kelly, chief executive of the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales, said: “During what continued to be a challenging environment for many charities in North Yorkshire and throughout the UK, the foundation’s ongoing commitment to funding core costs has been important in enabling nearly three quarters of supported charities to maintain their core services, and over a third to provide new services across England and Wales.”

The foundation has announced that funding is also available for charities in Selby for 2012.

Charities wishing to see if they are eligible for funding should visit lloydstsbfoundations.org.uk and fill out the online eligibility questionnaire.