STAFF AT Principality Building Society have raised nearly £70,000 for the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

Throughout 2013 staff at the Society’s 53 branches and 17 agencies across Wales and the borders – including those situated in Penarth - have completed a range of activities from charity walks to bag packing and from cycle rides to cake sales, to raise £69,527.25 for BHF Cymru.

The impressive total was also boosted by donations generated from Member votes at the Society’s Annual General Meeting in April, which raised £20,000.

Graeme Yorston, group chief executive for Principality Building Society, said: “Our staff have had another fantastic year of fundraising, coming up with even more fun ways to raise money to support this worthy charity.

“We recognise the importance of the work that BHF Cymru does within our communities and we hope that the money we have raised will make a difference to help provide equipment and support this vital service in Wales.”

Every year Principality raises money for a different Charity of the Year. The charity is nominated by a member of staff at the Society and then shortlisted among five others, before being voted as the official charity by staff.

All the money raised in 2013 will be donated to BHF Cymru’s No Time To Wait Appeal, a Wales-wide campaign to get more people trained in emergency life-support skills and to place more defibrillators in locations across Wales.

Luke Mallett, BHF Cymru’s head of volunteer fundraising, Luke Mallett, said: “It has been great to work with staff across the Principality Building Society to raise this fantastic total to support Wales’ fight for every heartbeat. The money raised will help the BHF to save more lives right across Wales.”