A BRADFORD-based building society is celebrating after winning a national awards double.

Yorkshire Building Society was crowned winners in two categories and shortlisted in five at the National Centre for Diversity Grand Awards.

The company, based in Yorkshire Drive, won the UK’s Most Improved Organisation of the Year and UK Financial Services Company of the Year prizes at the ceremony.

It was also shortlisted in the UK’s Most Inspiring Individual of the Year category, with Craig Downing, YBS’s contact centre team manager, nominated for his work as a diversity champion at the society.

The society’s other shortlisted categories were UK’s Most Innovative Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative of the Year 2018 and Nicola Hosty, diversity manager for the Society, who collected the awards, was nominated as UK Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead of the Year.

She said: “It was a real honour to pick up these awards on behalf of the Society. It shows how we have embraced diversity and inclusion within our organisation and our commitment to continued improvement.

“This external recognition of our diversity and inclusion programme is down to the hard work of all of our colleagues and I would like to thank them as it wouldn’t have been possible without them.

“It was a great night, we were thrilled to be shortlisted so to come home with two awards and a certificate for achieving the conditional award for the Investors in Diversity accreditation was the cherry on the cake.”

The company, which employs more than 4,000 people and has 3.2 million customers, was also presented with a plaque at the awards, held in London, as it has been awarded the conditional achievement of the Investors in Diversity standard at stage two.

The National Centre for Diversity aims to advance fairness for all people in the workplace by helping organisations to use best equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) practices. The group aims to positively influence beliefs, attitudes, behaviour and conduct towards issues surrounding EDI.

Solat Chaudhry, National Centre for Diversity chief executive, who hosted the awards, said: “Congratulations and well done for the hard work Yorkshire Building Society has put into their diversity journey so far.

“We have seen that the organisation has shown professional courage, an admirable transparency and a steely determination to improve and these awards showcase their success.

“We look forward to continuing to work with YBS in their commitment to achieving their equality, diversity and inclusion goals as an organisation.”

The winning double is YBS’s second national success this month after it was named the Newcomer Large Employer of the Year at the National Apprenticeship Awards.