Tag: Bank of Scotland Foundation

Funding boost for Tap Into IT

Edinburgh based charity Tap Into IT have secured an unrestricted grant totalling £40,000 over 2 years from Bank of Scotland Foundation’s funding programme, Energise. 

Started in 2012, Tap into IT exists to enable within Edinburgh older people and those with disabilities to stay socially connected and involved by providing patient, person-centred and accessible digital support that reduces anxiety and builds confidence in using modern technology.

We target the estimated 21,000 adults over 75 in Edinburgh who remain offline and the high proportion of those online who have limited digital skills and confidence. We support those who are, or at risk of becoming isolated due to limited mobility, cognitive impairments such as dementia and the risk of exclusion as essential services move exclusively online.

We deliver our services ‘where people are’, familiar community locations or their own homes, removing barriers to access and of anxiety. 

Through a blend of small-group sessions and one-to-one home visits, we build the skills and confidence and provide the support necessary to navigate the modern world. As part of our support, we help individuals customise their technology—such as utilising voice-activated services—to bypass physical or cognitive barriers. The impact is transformative. 

Mike Ellis, the Executive Director at Tap Into IT said “This generous grant from the Bank of Scotland will enable us to better pursue our existing growth strategy and help bridge the ‘digital divide’ which can exclude older people from online services.

“The need for this is growing and increasingly access to the digital domain is a necessity, not just a convenience. We are encouraged that the Bank of Scotland has recognised the value of our work, and the potential we have.” 

Donald MacKechnie, Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees said, “We are delighted to award Tap Into IT with £40,000 of funding.

“The cost-of-living crisis means many charities are struggling with increasing expenditure, at a time when the demand for their services is as great as ever. Our grant awards will help charities through the challenging months ahead.” 

Since 2010, the Bank of Scotland Foundation through their Grant Programmes and Matched Giving Programme for Lloyds Banking Group colleagues in Scotland, have provided over £50 million to more than 2,900 charities, supporting a wide ecosystem of charities delivering vital local services, advice and personal support.

Together, these charities provide help at significant scale – supporting people at different points in their lives, often through more than one service. 

Over time, this collective and sustained support has touched the lives of hundreds of thousands, demonstrating both the breadth and depth of impact made possible through their funding

For more information about Bank of Scotland Foundation and its grant programmes, please visit www.bankofscotlandfoundation.org

Bank of Scotland Foundation backs Scottish charities for the long term with Empower grants programme

Bank of Scotland Foundation, an independent charity funded solely by Lloyds Banking Group, has awarded £4.25 million to seventeen Scottish charities through Empower – its multi-year, unrestricted funding programme – at a time when communities across Scotland are facing sustained and growing pressures.

In response to the ongoing cost of living crisis and the increasing strain on frontline services, the Foundation has taken the deliberate decision to strengthen and extend Empower, upgrading the programme from three to five years and increasing funding from £150,000 to £250,000 per charity.  

This shift is designed to give grassroots charities not just funding, but certainty, stability and breathing space – enabling them to focus on people, not survival.

Each of the seventeen charities will receive £50,000 per year for five years in unrestricted funding, allowing them to plan with confidence, retain staff and respond quickly as needs evolve.  

This represents the single largest grants programme investment in the history of the Foundation and reflects a long-term commitment to charities supporting people living in vulnerable circumstances, at a time when demand for help continues to rise while resources are under increasing pressure.

By prioritising long-term, flexible funding, the Foundation is backing charities to do what they do best – reach people earlier, provide consistent support, and build stronger, more resilient communities across Scotland.

Donald MacKechnie, Chair of Bank of Scotland Foundation, commented, “Empower reflects our belief that lasting change happens when charities are trusted and given the stability to plan for the long term.

“Through our conversations with charities, we know that unrestricted funding is transformative – it allows charities to cover essential costs, retain skilled staff and respond quickly when circumstances change.

“At a time of real uncertainty for many communities, we are proud to be offering five years of support through Empower, and we look forward to seeing the positive, life-changing impact these grants will have over the years ahead.”

The seventeen charities each awarded an Empower grant of £250,000 over the next five years are: 

CHARITYCONSTITUENCY
CENTRAL SCOTLAND
Talk NowEast Kilbride
Home-Start Falkirk LtdFalkirk West
GLASGOW
The Saturday Cafe ClubsGlasgow Cathcart
Starter Packs GlasgowGlasgow Pollok
HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS
Cowal Elderly Befrienders SCIOArgyll and Bute
LOTHIANS
Steps to Hope SCIOAlmond Valley
Richmond’s HopeEdinburgh Eastern
Pilton Youth and Children’s ProjectEdinburgh Northern and Leith
LIFT@ Muirhouse Millennium CentreEdinburgh Western
Queensferry Churches’ Care in the CommunityEdinburgh Western
Changes East LothianMidlothian North and Musselburgh
MID SCOTLAND AND FIFE
Denny and Dunipace Citizens Advice BureauStirling
NORTH EAST SCOTLAND
Grampian Women’s AidAberdeen Donside
Angus Citizens Advice Bureau (SCIO)Angus South
SOUTH SCOTLAND
Home-Start East LothianEast Lothian
Roxburgh and Berwickshire Citizens Advice BureauEttrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire
Eildon West Youth HubMidlothian South, Tweeddale & Lauderdale

Empowered! Major funding boost for Pilton Youth & Children’s Project

BANK OF SCOTLAND FUNDING SECURES PYCP’s FUTURE

We are delighted to share that we have received a five year unrestricted grant totalling £250,000 through Bank of Scotland Foundation’s Empower programme!

This kind of support helps us strengthen our work and grow our impact over the long term. Thank you!

Bank of Scotland Foundation

#YouthWorkMatters

Multi-year funding for Edinburgh School Uniform Bank

🎉 Great news – we’ve been awarded multi-year funding from the Bank of Scotland Foundation !

It takes a village to raise a child, and we appreciate support from every part of our community – individuals, companies, local clubs & groups, workplace teams, faith groups, schools and of course the funding bodies who help us keep the lights on.