A £10,000 cash boost has been welcomed by Wilts & Berks Canal Trust, which has been unveiled as a winner in a £150,000 cash giveaway that was set up to leave a lasting legacy in local communities.

Yorkshire Building Society pledged the donation during its 150th anniversary year and the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust was one of 15 chosen by members of the public to receive £10,000.

More than 600 charities applied to the Society’s Lasting Legacy Fund before 30 were put forward for a public vote.

The Wilts & Berks Canal Trust will use the £10,000 to repair a 200-year-old brick culvert under the restored canal at Pewsham, Chippenham, that has collapsed.

Kath Hatton, fundraising director for the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust, said: “We are thrilled that our project has been chosen to be funded as part of the Yorkshire Building Society Lasting Legacy Fund.

"We can’t wait to get started and make a real difference to our community.”

Pauline Giroux, Yorkshire Building Society’s corporate responsibility manager, said: “We are proud to commemorate our milestone anniversary by helping charities make a positive difference in their communities.

“We are delighted to be able to support the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust project and we are looking forward to seeing the benefits it will bring. To be chosen from over 600 charity projects shows that this is a project that has really resonated with the public and will deliver a tangible benefit to the local community.”

The society’s roots go back to 1864 when the Huddersfield Equitable Permanent Benefit Building Society was founded.

For further information about the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust visit www.wbct.org.uk