Money will be used to fund workshops on financial planning, IT and nutrition

Sidmouth Voluntary Services has received more than £4,700 to help users learn new skills with a series of workshops.

The Santander Foundation gave the grant to the charity, which provides cooked lunches, transport and social activities.

The money will be used to fund workshops on subjects such as financial planning, IT skills and nutrition for a year. It will also cover the costs of door-to-door transport to and from the event, as well as course materials and refreshments.

Phil Deegan, chairman of trustees at SVS, said: “We asked our clients what they would like. We had all these suggestions come back and we knew Santander do these grants for these sorts of things. They very generously offered us more than £4,700 and we are very appreciative.

“The grant will help our members to become better informed on a variety of subjects. This will enable them to be more independent, self-assured and confident in their everyday lives. It will also help them to keep safe in our modern environment.”

The charity hopes to launch the workshops from March at its HQ in Twyford House.

Chris Harland, manager at Santander’s Sidmouth branch, said: “The Santander Foundation makes hundreds of donations every year to good causes throughout the UK. Our branch is committed to playing a key part in the community and we are delighted to be supporting Sidmouth Voluntary Services and hope the donation makes a real difference to local people.”