Scotland is a country with rich history and spirit, but like the rest of the world, it is currently weathering a cost of living crisis against the backdrop of recovery from a global pandemic. While the generosity within our communities is renowned, support needs to transcend an individual level.

The banking sector plays a crucial role in both Scotland’s economy and society. As such, it is vital that we do our part to help address social issues, going beyond traditional financial activity to improve lives.

At Royal Bank of Scotland, we recognise that we have a unique opportunity to utilise our resources and influence real change within local communities by providing funding and our expertise to projects designed to raise standards of living across Scotland.

Through my role as Capability Programme Manager at Royal Bank of Scotland, I was given the opportunity to set up and lead our Skillbank programme, which offers vital resources to those in need. Skillbank was created during the first nationwide lockdown when charities were required to expand their donation services at speed, but lacked the resources and infrastructure to manage the necessary logistics.

With many of our staff working from home at the start of lockdown, I saw an opportunity to transform the bank’s newly-empty Gogarburn headquarters into a charity distribution hub. We partnered with local organisations such as Social Bite and Cyrenians, using the tools at our disposal to supply food and clothing to people in need. Our partnership has stood the test of time, and as colleagues returned to the office, we helped Social Bite to open its first commercial cafe at Gogarburn, providing vital funding to tackle the challenge of homelessness.

The war in Ukraine has created an urgent need to support thousands of displaced families and individuals. To play our part, we partnered with Edinburgh City Council and the Scottish Government to open a Welcome Centre within our headquarters. To date, the site has distributed more than 10,000 welcome packs, and in one month alone, will see up to 2000 children’s toothbrushes, 4,000 books and 2,000 sanitary packs handed out.

Royal Bank of Scotland is also striving to empower women in business and is fully funding an educational coding programming for females with Code First Girls, where women will be offered the opportunity to retrain as a coder, gain work experience and be supported into employment.

It is crucial to Scotland’s future that big banks recognise their role in society and their responsibility to support local communities and address social issues. By taking a proactive approach to the cost of living crisis and other issues facing Scotland, we can create a more equitable and prosperous society for all.

Sheena Hales is Capability Programme Manager at Royal Bank