Unity Trust Bank awards £5,000

North Sea Conservation works in partnership with local fishing communities and through conservation, education and research, helps boosts North Sea marine life across 100 miles of coastline from Grimsby to Redcar.

Nearly 200 grant applications were received this year from Unity customers and North Sea Conservation is one of 10 organisations that were chosen by a panel of judges. Established in Whitby in 2021, the charity helps safeguard the natural environment and protect historic maritime heritage and the livelihoods that depend upon it.

That same year, thousands of crabs and lobsters washed up dead or dying on the Yorkshire coastline from an unknown cause and this, coupled with years of over-fishing, has had a huge impact on the lobster population.

The Whitby Lobster Hatchery is North Sea Conservation’s flagship project and aims to release 100,000 lobsters a year back into the sea by 2028.

The £5,000 Unity Impact Grant will be used to obtain berried hens (mother lobsters), rear the larvae and release 2,500 juvenile lobsters.Joe Redfern, General Manager at North Sea Conservation, said: “Our mission to continue maintaining the balance in the North Sea is ambitious, and this support from Unity will be a great help in achieving that.

"Whitby Lobster Hatchery is deeply appreciative of the generous grant. The support comes at a crucial time for the charity, strengthening our ability to protect and restore the health of the North Sea.

“The funding will be put to immediate use, helping the team release even more juvenile lobsters back into local waters while expanding vital education work around native marine life, fishing heritage, and the role of the hatchery in supporting sustainable coastal communities."

Through fundraising, volunteering and charitable donations, around £30,000 has been awarded to good causes in 2025.

Joshua Meek, Chief Impact Officer at Unity Trust Bank, said: ““We launched Unity Impact Grants last year to mark our 40th birthday and this year we doubled the amount of grant funding to £50,000.

“We were highly impressed by the quality of applications from our customers and we are proud to support the 10 successful applicants because they are all providing such vital services in their communities.

“As a social impact bank we are committed to delivering inclusive growth in communities across the UK, that's why the Impact Grants programme aims to support customers with funding they need.

“We will continue to build on this momentum to support our customers in making a positive difference.”

The other successful recipients of the Unity Impact Grant are Women’s Aid In Luton, Break The Silence, Orange Bow CIC, The Twisting Ducks Theatre Company, In Your Space Circus

Ltd, Green Futures Greater Grimsby, Birmingham Playcare Network, Health Psychology Management Organisation and The Canley Community Centre.

For more information, visit www.unity.co.uk/delivering-impact/