Darlington Building Society was one of the country’s first mortgage lenders to offer affinity mortgages designed to provide much needed funds to local causes and to benefit the local community. Previous beneficiary organisations have included the Great North Air Ambulance Service, The Durham Light Infantry Memorial Appeal, the region’s four largest local hospices and the cancer centre at James Cook Hospital.
To coincide with the launch of “Ingenious Darlington”, the Society has rebranded its latest affinity as the Ingenious Affinity Mortgage and for every mortgage taken out Darlington Building Society will donate £250 to Age UK Darlington to support their new ingenious activities programme.
Age UK Darlington has already started guitar and ukulele lessons, a gardening club and extra lunch clubs. Some of the activities will take place at the Darlington Fire Station community rooms which are now being managed by Age UK Darlington as part of a partnership with Darlington Fire Service.
Colin Fyfe, Chief Executive of Darlington Building Society said, “We believe the affinity mortgage idea to be an ingenious one so we were more than happy to set up a partnership with Age UK Darlington to launch our latest affinity mortgage”.
He added, “Age UK Darlington plays an important role in supporting older people in and around Darlington and I am sure their new “Ingenious Activities” initiative will be a great success”.
Gillian Peel, Chief Executive Officer at Age UK Darlington said, “We are delighted that Darlington Building Society is supporting us in this way”.
She continued, “The more we can help people to join in our activities and stay active the better it is for them – some people are desperately lonely and need companionship”.