A TRIO of community groups are celebrating after each securing £500 worth of funding to help develop their activities.

Kendal based therapeutic singing group 'With Singing in Mind,' Kirkby Lonsdale Netball Club and Ingleton Amateur Swimming Club all received the windfall from Skipton Building Society’s Grassroots Giving scheme for 2018.

With Singing in Mind is an initiative working with people who live with a neurodegenerative condition such as motor neurone disease, dementia, stroke and Parkinson's disease.

The group is run by volunteers and a singing facilitator who not only provides musical expertise, but also personal empathy for the people attending the group.

Kirkby Lonsdale Netball Club encourage players of all abilities regardless of age or sex, with older or less active members of the community also catered for through the popular 'walking netball' team, while Ingleton Amateur Swimming Club volunteers provide lessons, club galas and fun events.

All the cash donations came from the Skipton Building Society's Grassroots Giving scheme, whereby applicants are profiled on the company's website with the public then asked to vote for the groups which they believe are the most deserving.

“These self-funded groups work hard to improve their local community and we’re proud that this funding from Skipton will play a huge role in their future growth," said Skipton Building Society group chief executive David Cutter.

“Often small groups are out on a limb and struggle to gain funding from elsewhere, as they are not registered charities.

"Grassroots Giving enables us to really get to the heart of our local communities and we love being able to help causes that we see in action in our local neighbourhoods."

As part of its Grassroots Giving initiative, Skipton Building Society has also launched a series of free resources covering a range of key areas for community groups, which can all be downloaded at www.skiptongrg.co.uk/free-resources.