A BUILDING Society branch in Southampton has been thanked after it helped hundreds of young people off the streets during a fundraising effort.

The Above Bar Street branch of Yorkshire Building Society has been thanked by the society after it raised £2,054 during a three and a half year partnership with End Youth Homelessness, as part of a wider effort to raise £1 million for the charity.

This money was raised through activities such as colleague fundraising, public donations and innovative savings accounts and this has helped more than 450 young people, and 95 dependent children off the streets and into their own rented homes.

Jake Rogan, manager of the Southampton branch of Yorkshire Building Society, said: “I want to thank everyone in the community here in Southampton that has supported our partnership with End Youth Homelessness. This has enabled us to help hundreds of homeless young people move into their own homes and provide them with the support they need to rebuild their future. Through our partnership, we’ve helped young people to overcome some of the enormous financial barriers to living independently like rental deposits, the first month’s rent, or household essentials and furniture.”

Nicholas Connolly, Managing Director for End Youth Homelessness, added: “The partnership between Yorkshire Building Society and End Youth Homelessness was about housing homeless young people, plain and simple. We have created a brilliant service that really works for homeless young people and a blue print for scaling other great local services.

“We are incredibly proud of this partnership and its legacy is hardwired into our future with the End Youth Homelessness Housing Fund, which builds on the partnership’s Rent Deposit Scheme. The hugely successful fundraising by Yorkshire Building Society will fund its first year of operation. We want to say a huge thank you to colleagues and customers at the Society for their support, which has helped change the lives of homeless young people.”