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Local Charities Benefit From £46,000 Donation Through Safety-Linked Programme

Three local charities, including Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary, will share a £46,000 donation thanks to a Woodsmith Project initiative that links safe working practices to community support.

Three local charities are set to share a substantial donation of £46,000 thanks to a programme run by the Woodsmith Project, which links safe progress on site to supporting community efforts.

Leo’s Neonatal, Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary, and IDAS will each receive just over £15,000.

The latest funding takes the total amount donated through the Anglo American initiative to £240,000 over the last six years.

Each of the charities provides vital services to the local area. Leo’s Neonatal offers perinatal baby loss and neonatal support to families across the Tees Valley. Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary rescues, rehabilitates, and releases thousands of injured wild animals and birds each year. Meanwhile, IDAS is the largest specialist charity in Yorkshire supporting people affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Lottie King, the Chief Executive and Founder of Leo's, expressed her gratitude for the funding.

She said:

"This donation is incredible and will continue to support the vital work we do locally for families, we want to send a heartfelt thanks to the team at Anglo for supporting us these last 12 months."

The funding will also have a significant impact on local wildlife rescue efforts in North Yorkshire.

Alexandra Farmer from Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary said:

“This funding will make a real difference to the work we do at Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary.

“It will help us continue rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing injured wildlife, while strengthening our ability to support the local environment and community. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone involved in making this donation possible and to everyone at Anglo American for raising awareness of our charity and vital funds during 2025.”

For IDAS, the money will go towards bridging a significant funding gap.

Sarah Hill, the Chief Executive of IDAS, added:

“Each year, we need to raise around £150,000 in addition to our mainstream funding, so that we can provide essential services such as some of our recovery groups and children's activities. Anglo American's generous donation will make a significant difference to IDAS and the people we support."

Looking ahead, teams at the Woodsmith Project have already voted for the Great Days beneficiaries for 2026.

The Great North Air Ambulance Service, Teesside Hospice, and the Thalia-Beau Foundation will be the next organisations to benefit from the safety-linked programme.

Andrew Johnson, Project Director for the Woodsmith Project, highlighted the importance of the scheme.

He said:

“Great Days is a brilliant example of how our commitment to safe progress creates real benefits beyond the boundaries of the project. Every safe day on site represents hundreds of people making the right choices, looking out for one another and working with care.

“To see those efforts translated into meaningful support for charities that matter deeply to our workforce, and our local communities is something we’re incredibly proud of.”

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