Mansfield Building Society has been recognised for its support and dedication to the community.

The Mortgage Finance Gazette awarded the society its prestigious highly commended award for community service at its 16th annual awards.

The accolade recognised a momentous year as the society helped establish a Prince’s Trust team programme in Mansfield, raised more than £6,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support, and increased its total Community Support Scheme donations to more than £150,000 since the scheme’s formation.

The Mansfield began the year having chosen Macmillan as its charity partner, with the aim of raising £5,000 for the charity over 24 months.

Staff soon rose to the challenge with a variety of fundraising activities, including scaling Mount Snowden, a branch-to-branch walk covering more than 20 miles and a 40-hour bikeathon in its Mansfield branch.

All the money raised — £6,000 that is still being added to — by The Mansfield is being used to support those affected by cancer in the Mansfield, Ashfield and Chesterfield area.

In 2017, the Society’s Charitable Trust awarded £10,000 to the Inspire and Achieve Foundation to help it establish the Prince’s Trust team programme in Mansfield.

Along with the donation, staff at volunteered to work with the charity to help educate young disadvantaged adults to develop the skills necessary for them to progress into work or further education.

The society awarded accreditation certificates to the schemes first phase of successful graduates in July with a further phase scheduled to pass out.

Every year The Mansfield donates around £20,000 to various community groups and charities through its Community Support Scheme. This year, the scheme’s total donations will exceed £150,000 since it was established in 2008.

Richard Crisp, commercial development executive at the society, said: “Mortgage Finance Gazette is a leading publication for the mortgage industry.

“With the awards now in their 16th year, we are proud to receive the highly commended award in recognition of the contribution we make to support the local community.

“As a regional building society, it’s great to be noticed on a national scale for the hard work and energy that all our staff put into community projects and fundraising events.

“The foundation of our community work is embedded in our mutual ethos, whether it’s our fundraising and community involvement, our personal approach to mortgage lending or the value we pay to our local and loyal savers.

“We have been supporting our heartland community for over 147 years and we intend to carry on this tradition for at least 147 more.”

Pictured, from left, are Dale Twigger, Mansfield Building Society Marketing Manager; Joanne Atkin, Mortgage Finance Gazette Group Editor; Gev Lynott, Mansfield Building Society Chief Executive.