We have been catching up with some of our sponsors lately and it was amazing to hear about some of the initiatives undertaken by the Principality Building Society of late – during and despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Building Society donated more than £103,000 to our charity partners in the first half of 2020 including the Teenage Cancer Trust, a charity close to our heart, and Alzheimer’s Society Cymru.

It has maintained its community support programmes through the lockdown period, helping foodbanks, donating rugby balls to kids, donating IT equipment to various school and community organisations and supporting the Free Bikes for Kids Project in Newport.

It has also sponsored the Young Enterprise Fiver Challenge (from Home) in Wales - which launched with more than 7,500 Primary Pupils taking part.

The Fiver from Home initiative asks students aged 5-11 years to create, research and plan a business with just £5. As the sponsor of Fiver from Home in Wales, Principality has provided funding allowing Young Enterprise to bring the challenge to Wales on a larger scale and in the Welsh language.

Fiver from Home has been created in response to the coronavirus pandemic in place of the Fiver Challenge which would have usually been run in the classroom. The new initiative allows young people to develop their creativity, commercial awareness and money management skills while at home.

During the project, students will learn important skills for starting their own mini business, including designing a company logo, undertaking market research, and planning their product/service. They will then pitch their plan in a Dragon’s Den-style to someone in their house. Throughout the summer months, students will also have the chance to win prizes by entering monthly competitions for the best logo, sales pitch and overall project in Wales.

Finally, it has also run its annual Summer Challenge Series, which has included Garden Tennis, Afternoon Tea at Home, Basketball, Trek 26 Local, and Virtual Zwift.

Well done Principality, your community-focused ethos and charitable work represents everything Child of Wales represents.