SEVERAL charities in the Borders have been awarded a share of £37,900 in grants from a national bank.

The Bank of Scotland Foundation’s small and medium grants have been awarded to five charities across the region.

The recipients of the awards are; Perfect Harmony SCIO in Hawick with £5,000, Borders Water Rescue Team with £5,600, the Abbotsford Trust in Melrose with £5,800, the Hawick Community Cafe with £9,000 and Stable Life in Selkirk scooping the largest amount with £12,500.

The £5,000 awarded to Perfect Harmony SCIO in Hawick will be used to cover musician and management expenses, and the £12,500 handed to Stable Life in Selkirk will be used to contribute towards two salary positions.

Grants, such as these from the Bank of Scotland Foundation, are vital to help these Border charities continue to provide much needed services to their community. 

The majority of charities who received funding from the foundation in 2016 used their grant to pay for core costs such as salaries and rent or running costs. 

In an increasingly challenging funding environment, the Bank of Scotland Foundation continues to provide funding for core costs, providing stability for many charities. 

Philip Grant, chairman of the Scottish executive committee, Lloyds banking group and chairman of the foundation’s board of trustees said: “Finding the funding to continue operating is a pressure charities regularly face, so we’re delighted to have been able to provide grants to five Borders charities at the end of last year.

"They are just some of 118 Scottish charities that shared more than £1,426,000 from our small, medium and large grants programmes during 2016.

“The work these charities do is invaluable and the Bank of Scotland foundation is proud to support them in making a tangible difference to the local communities in which they operate. We look forward to helping many more Scottish charities support their communities in 2017.”

Another opportunity for small and medium grants is now open and charities have until Friday, April 7 to send in their applications.

The 2017 large grants programme will open soon in mid-January.

To apply, visit: www.bankofscotlandfoundation.org