The Yorkshire team welcomed their Building Futures finalists to their Fulford office for afternoon tea

Representatives from two groups – The Island and The Encephalitis Society - met to discuss their work and how they’ve been encouraging the public to support them in the Building Futures vote.

York-based charity The Island provides a mentoring and activity service for disadvantaged, vulnerable and isolated children, while The Encephalitis Society supports people with encephalitis, which causes acute inflammation of the brain.

Hessle Scout Group was unable to attend but is the region’s third finalist in the Building Futures initiative, which could see each of the groups walking away with up to £100,000, decided on the highest number of public votes.

The three organisations have been shortlisted along with 93 other groups from across England, Wales and Scotland in categories targeting grassroots sports, health organisations and arts & education projects.

One initiative from each category will go on to win £100,000. There will be a £50,000 second prize and a £20,000 third prize in each category, while a further 87 shortlisted projects will each receive £5,000

If they won the top prize, The Island plans to build an outdoor multi-use games area as well as fund new sport equipment. The Encephalitis Society, meanwhile, intends to deliver a bespoke children’s service providing expert support and peer-reviewed resources. Hessle Scout Group will use the funds on building a purpose-built toilet block and changing facilities at its scout’s den in Hull.

Scott Waters, managing director for Yorkshire, said: “It was a pleasure and delight to meet the faces behind our chosen finalists.

“Building Futures aims to create lasting legacies in communities across the UK and we believe that each of our three finalists would be able to make a huge difference with the £100,000 top prize.

“We have been behind them all throughout the online public voting and are looking forward to see who the top winners are later this month.”

The online public vote ends at midnight on Friday 19th November and the winners of each category will be announced on our website Tuesday 30^th November.