A charity which provides a lifeline to isolated people suffering from a range of learning disabilities and complex needs has been able to buy a new van thanks to a donation from Yorkshire Building Society’s Charitable Foundation.

Us in a Bus, based in Redhill, Surrey, was given £1,000 towards their existing fundraising total after being nominated by the Yorkshire’s Coulsdon branch.

Cheryl Dench, a Customer Consultant at the branch on Brighton Road, applied to the Charitable Foundation after the charity approached them for help.

She said: “Us in a Bus wrote to us asking for help in raising money for their van and I couldn’t think of a better charity to help.

“They work so hard to make a difference to people’s lives and I’m so pleased the Charitable Foundation was able to help them reach out to more isolated people in our community.”

Us in a Bus aims to break down communication barriers some people face and enable them to enjoy life to the full.

Their specialist staff and volunteers are dedicated to identifying people’s needs and finding the right solutions that work for them.

The charity had to raise a total of £12,000 to buy the new van.

Renée Canter, Business Development Manager at Us in a Bus, said: “Demand for our services has been growing over the last two years and it was crucial for the team that we add a new van to the fleet.

“Thanks to the support from Yorkshire Building Society’s Charitable Foundation we can now provide those people who find communicating an everyday challenge an opportunity to express themselves and feel listened to, which we believe has a positive impact on their confidence and emotional well-being.”

In 2013, over £545,000 was donated from the Charitable Foundation to a total of more than 2,300 good causes around the UK.

For more information about Us in a Bus, visit www.usinabus.org.uk or find them on Twitter or Facebook.