A BORDERS charity has been awarded with a substantial grant by the National Lottery.

Interest Link Borders has received £262,877 to continue their befriending project for over 170 adults with learning disabilities.

The charity was founded by carers in Berwickshire in 1990 and now cover the whole of the Scottish Borders, including Central Borders, Roxburgh and Tweeddale.

The group provides a mixture of long-term, short-term and group befriending for children (aged 8-16), young people (aged 16-25) and adults, and support up to 250 befriending links each year. 

Andrew Findlay, Project Co-ordinator, Interest Link Borders, said: “This award will enable us to create and maintain one to one and group friendships for adults with learning disabilities in the Scottish Borders, helping to greatly reduce social isolation and improve their quality of life and wellbeing.

"This project will also provide high quality respite for their family carers and the five year term also gives us longer term security than any of our previous projects have ever had.”

The Big Lottery Fund Scotland is focused on helping people and communities most in need throughout Scotland through a five-year £250m funding scheme as well as small grants schemes Awards for All and Investing in Ideas.

Since the National Lottery began in 1994, £35 billion has been raised and more than 490,000 grants awarded.