• Special edition notes sold at auction to generous bidders
• All money raised will support 14 – 18 year olds’ mental health resilience.
Bank of Scotland has raised £112,590 for Mental Health UK after auctioning off valuable versions of its upcoming £20 Polymer bank note.
A total of 92 notes that contain desired serial numbers were up for grabs at the auction run by SPINKS in London on the 12th February, with every single one being snapped up by attendees.
In addition, bidders could get their hands on 50 commemorative notes.These notes feature the Queensferry Crossing on the reverse, as well as the most sought after serial numbers with the AA pre-fix. Only these 50 notes will ever be printed with the AA pre-fix on the commemoratve design.
Thanks to the generous public for their bids, a fantastic £112,590 has been raised for Bank of Scotland’s charity of the year, Mental Health UK.
Brian Dow, Chief Executive of Mental Health UK, said: “At Mental Health UK we know there is a growing need for support for young people. That’s why, with funding from Bank of Scotland and the rest of Lloyds Banking Group, we created Bloom – the largest UK-wide programme for 14-18 year olds - which focuses on supporting young people’s mental health resilience. With this support we can expand the reach to over half a million young people, equipping them with the tools and knowledge needed to support their mental health now and in the future.”
Tara Foley, Managing Director, Bank of Scotland said: “Thank you to everyone who bought one of these very special £20 polymer bank notes. Not only do they now own a piece of history, they have also put money towards a cause which is very close to our hearts at Bank of Scotland.”
£20 Polymer Note Reflecting the new notes due into circulation later this month, the 50 special edition Queensferry Crossing notes are printed with a unique serial number, commencing with AA. The front of the note features the portrait of the Scottish novelist and poet, Sir Walter Scott, alongside the image of The Mound in Edinburgh. The distinctive red Forth Bridge remains on the reverse, which was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, in July 2015.
One of the key security features of Bank of Scotland’s polymer notes is the anti-counterfeit ‘window effect’ which can be found in the windows of The Mound which appear on the note. The £20 polymer note features a holographic depth stripe, and the top of the foil includes a ‘Northern Lights’ effect when tilted. In addition, the clouds adjacent to Victory will move left to right when tilted east to west.
Mental Health UK Through the partnership with Mental Health UK our aim is to raise a further £4 million by the end of 2021 to expand ‘Bloom’ - a UK-wide programme delivered in schools and colleges which supports young people’s mental health resilience. Bloom aims to reach half a million young people, teaching them skills and techniques that will help them with challenges such as exam pressure, relationships and bullying. The partnership also continues to fund the Mental Health and Money Advice service. An advice service helping thousands of people in the UK every year who are experiencing difficulties with both their mental health and money.
