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1 4'9#4& # ;170) 2'4510 #)'& 14 70&'4 (14 +052+4#6+10#. %*#4+6; 914B' 9+00'4 *'# #4# 9#5 51 /18'& $; 6*' 2.+)*6 1( %*+.&4'0 9+6* #0 +0%74#$.' %10&+6+10 6*#6 5*' 2#+06'& # 2+%674' '8'4; &#; (14 &#;5 #0& 51.& 6*'/ 4#+5+0) 6*175#0&5 (14 4'5'#4%* 14 21.+%' A4' #/$7.#0%' 2#4#/'& +%5 14 #+4 5'# 14 /1706#+0 4'5%7' 9*1 *#8' )10' $';10& 6*' %#.. 1( &76; 61 *'.2 16*'45 #56 ;'#4 9' *10174'& 6*' 4'0('.. A4'A)*6'45 0 6*' 9+00'45 9'4' # 10&10 +4 /$7.#0%' 6'#/ .'(6 9*1 5#8'& # %;%.+56 9*1 9#5 /1/'065 (41/ &'#6* $; %#44;+0) 176 # %1/2.': *'#46 241%'&74' $; 6*' 41#& ITH today’s hectic lives it can be hard to find the time to help other people. So TSB partner Katie Leaning came up with a way to make a difference that she could fit in with her busy job. She decided to do one thing every month for a local good cause to help her community.

Since making her New Year’s resolution she has raised money by selling jam, donated a month’s lunch money to charity by bringing sandwiches to work and collected 115 woolly hats for sick babies in hospital.

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“One day I thought, ‘I might not be in a position to raise millions but maybe I can make a difference doing lots of smaller things that I know I can manage’.

“So I decided to set myself a small challenge every month. In January I brought in the jars of jam left over from my wedding for people to take and give a donation to charity. It was a simple thing, yet it helped someone in a small way.”

The following month Katie decided to take her lunch to work and donate the money she would have spent to charity. Then in March, after visiting a friend’s baby who had been born prematurely, she decided to knit woolly hats for the hospital’s neonatal unit.

Katie recalls: “It started with just me knitting. But then I put out a post on the internal messaging system and TSB staff from all over the country started to send me hats too. In the end we had 115. TSB has been really supportive. There is already a real ethos among staff to get involved in local charities, which the bank encourages and fosters.” Other good deeds planned include walking to work in September and walking the dogs at a local shelter. Katie says: “It has been such a positive experience, especially when other people have got involved. It has made me realise that it doesn’t matter who we are or what we do, all of us can do something to help others. And if lots of people do what they can to help others and improve communities, we can make a big difference together.”