Business energy supplier npower Business Solutions has committed a further £5m to its community fund, bringing its total funding to £10m.

Launched last year the npower Business Solutions Foundation fund provides grants of up to £100,000 to good causes located within 50 miles of its offices in Solihull and Leeds.

In its first year it supported 89 projects, including providing 190 solar panels, more than 299 charity roles, six electric vehicles and 15 redeveloped outdoor spaces. In addition, more than 20 buildings and community spaces have been renovated.

Among those supported has been Smart Works Leeds, to support an outreach workers role for women facing barriers to work in areas including Seacroft, Harehills and Bradford.

“The nBS Foundation was set up with a specific aim of supporting the many ambitious not-for-profit organisations, charities and educational institutions across the Midlands and Yorkshire, said the firms’s chief operating officer Anthony Ainsworth.

“Those organisations which are eager to make long-lasting change, but need the funding to turn their ambitions into reality.

“To say I am proud of the impact the nBS Foundation has had on the local communities where we are based is an understatement.

“We have been able to support some of the essential projects, charities, community groups and educational organisations across both regions that give hope to some of the most vulnerable people in the towns and cities across the Midlands and Yorkshire.

“It is also a huge honour to be able to announce a further £5 million in funding, bringing the total to a huge £10 million, so we can continue to support projects that are taking vital steps to decarbonise and safeguard our world, support the growth of responsible businesses, promote social innovation, and champion local skills or employment.”

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