Bank of Scotland Foundation announces awards totalling more than £850,000

Eight charities in Scotland have received their first grant awards from the Bank of Scotland Foundation’s new Invest programme.

The foundation is granting a total of £859,581 over the next five years through the scheme, which aims to ensure charities have financial certainty amid the ongoing impacts of the Covid-19 crisis.

Invest is part of the foundation’s Supporting Positive Change Across Scotland strategic plan, which was launched last year. As the foundation is one of few funders to cover core costs such as salaries and rent, all eight charities applied for a grant to help cover staff costs.

Philip Grant, chair of the foundation’s board of trustees, said, “Scotland’s charities faced enough financial pressure before Covid-19, but with large scale fundraising events now being cancelled the pressure is even greater.

“We are delighted to have been able to continue as planned with our new Invest programme and award these charities with longer term funding to help to ensure financial stability.”

The eight charities benefiting from awards are: Reach Lanarkshire Autism; Riding for the Disabled Association Glasgow Group; The GK Experience; Parkhead Citizens Advice Bureau; Caithness and Sutherland Women’s Aid; Home-Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde; West Dunbartonshire Community Foodshare and The Moira Anderson Foundation.

Each will receive awards over periods of two, three or five years.