Santander is offering £250,000 to community-based good causes in a scheme asking customers to vote for a local charity to receive a slice of the funding pot.

The banking giant’s Community Chest scheme, which runs until February 26, will allow customers to vote for a local good cause from three options nominated by their local branch. The scheme is being run at 1,000 branches across the UK.

With the charity gaining the most votes from each branch receiving a share of the Community Chest, Santander hopes that the scheme will strengthen relationships in the communities and help to raise the profiles of organisations making a difference.

Christianne Carrick, community relations manager at Santander, stated: “The Community Chest scheme is a great example of Santander working together with its customers to support the charities that are important to them.”

Santander donated £5m to local community organisations last year alone.

Santander, which bought British banks Abbey, Alliance & Leicester and Bradford & Bingley banks over a four year period, has begun to re-brand its acquisitions nationwide. Some 300 branches were renamed across the South East of England yesterday, while another 700 across the UK will be completed by the end of January.