Press releases

Santander employees from as far as Dartford, Essex and London came together in Milton Keynes last week to face off in a charity remake of the classic TV game show ‘It’s a Knockout’. The event was made up of a total of 285 employees in 32 teams, taking part in eight different challenges, including a basketball shootout, a chicken run and a human washing machine. This was all done in huge costumes and facing foam, water and other obstacles to raise money for Age UK and Barnardo’s.

The Senior Centre Castlemilk has received £5,000 to fund a series of evening ceramics and craft classes for its members in Castlemilk, Glasgow.

Basingstoke-based Southern Communications, one of the leading telecoms and data solution providers for UK SMEs, is to target further acquisitions in the telecoms and digital sectors following an increase in existing debt facilities from a syndicate led by Santander Corporate & Commercial, alongside HSBC and Aviva Investors (“Aviva”).

Pink Rooster has received £5,000 to fund music and sound therapy sessions for people living with dementia, mental health and life limiting conditions in Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire.

Child Action Northwest has received £5,000 to fund a part-time member of staff to work on the charity’s online counselling service aimed at supporting primary and secondary schools in Lancashire. The service will offer counselling sessions for young people aged seven to 15. 

• Average first-time buyers could save over £2,250 a year once on the property ladder compared to renting
• Londoners could make the biggest saving, as the average monthly rent is £289 higher than monthly mortgage payments
• Smallest differential between rent and mortgage payments is in the East of England at just £43 per month

Wigan-based Fleetsmart, one of the UK’s leading developers of hi-tech vehicle GPS tracking software for businesses, has doubled its office space in Wigan to cater for record demand for its products and services. The move, supported by a significant commercial mortgage from Santander Business Banking, will allow the firm to secure more contracts and employ additional staff.

Cheshire-based Reaseheath College, one of the UK’s leading specialist agricultural and horticultural colleges, has secured a £15 million funding facility from the education division at Santander Corporate and Commercial to increase the number of courses it offers, expand its student accommodation portfolio and grow the college’s reputation both nationally and internationally.

Bechange has received £5,000 to fund support for families in Aylesham and the surrounding areas to develop their financial skills. Bechange is a Dover-based charity which provides communities with support in areas including skills development, finance and housing. The funding will enable Bechange to reach more people who are struggling with managing their finances and help prevent further families from slipping into financial difficulty. 

The Scottish Union of Supported Employment (SUSE) has received a £5,000 grant which will help provide free transport to enable its users to access its Edinburgh-based ‘Peer Support for Work’ Hub more easily.

• Alec Daniels, 86, successfully sent a ‘controlled’ phishing email and breached a public WiFi hotspot in only 16 minutes 40 seconds 
• 41 per cent of people regularly use public WiFi hotspots to access the internet putting their online security at risk⁽²⁾
• 74 per cent of Britons have been targeted by scammers with phishing emails, smishing texts and vishing calls⁽³⁾ 

From 29 May 2018, Santander will be reducing rates on a number of Santander and cahoot Personal Loans. The new rates will apply for both new and existing customers.

Gloucestershire Young Carers has received £4,000 from the Santander Foundation to fund the charity’s work with young adult carers in Gloucestershire

• A third (32 per cent) of parents are paying their children to complete household chores and 18 per cent reward good behaviour at school
• 13 per cent of parents who give their children pocket money make them pay ‘tax’ while 18 per cent of parents fine their children money if they fail to carry out household chores
• Pocket money in London is 45 per cent more than the average across the UK and boys can expect to earn up to 33 per cent more than girls for carrying out household chores 

Gro-Organic, a Birmingham based social enterprise that runs community gardening activities with schools and marginalised young people, has received £4,500 of matched funding from Santander’s innovative Changemaker Fund.

Anxious Minds has received a £5,000 grant to fund its mental health services in the North East.

On 16^th May 2018, Santander UK will officially open its newly designed and refurbished branch on 27 Almondvale Centre, South Livingston EH54 6NB.

Santander’s Changemaker Fund has surpassed £1 million in matched funding and support from the crowd for charities, social enterprises and community projects across the UK. The Fund, in partnership with Crowdfunder, supports organisations looking to deliver social change in their local communities.

Growing Better, a Leeds-based social enterprise which supports people living with mental illness through courses and work experience at its urban farm, has received £10,000 of matched funding from Santander’s innovative Changemaker Fund.

Bloom Bakery and Catering, a Lewisham-based community programme which supports people looking to re-enter employment by teaching them food handling and bakery skills, has received £4,500 of matched funding from Santander’s innovative Changemaker Fund.