Groundwork UK is negotiating a deal to give its members discounted rates with the Co-operative Bank.

The 35-strong group of environmental charities is taking advantage of the Bank’s ability to offer a better deal when organisations approach them as a group.

Groundwork chief executive, Tony Hawkhead, said: "Looking at the way we bank is just one of a number of things we can all do when trying to make ourselves resilient to the challenges we face as charities.  

"We've had a number of conversations with our bank about the benefits of joint banking.  They have told us that the more of our members bank with them, the more we will be able to enjoy greater rewards - including getting better rates for us all while maintaining our separate bank accounts.