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:
| CHARITY | CONSTITUENCY |
|---|---|
| CENTRAL SCOTLAND | |
| Talk Now | East Kilbride |
| Home-Start Falkirk Ltd | Falkirk West |
| GLASGOW | |
| The Saturday Cafe Clubs | Glasgow Cathcart |
| Starter Packs Glasgow | Glasgow Pollok |
| HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS | |
| Cowal Elderly Befrienders SCIO | Argyll and Bute |
| LOTHIANS | |
| Steps to Hope SCIO | Almond Valley |
| Richmond’s Hope | Edinburgh Eastern |
| Pilton Youth and Children’s Project | Edinburgh Northern and Leith |
| LIFT@ Muirhouse Millennium Centre | Edinburgh Western |
| Queensferry Churches’ Care in the Community | Edinburgh Western |
| Changes East Lothian | Midlothian North and Musselburgh |
| MID SCOTLAND AND FIFE | |
| Denny and Dunipace Citizens Advice Bureau | Stirling |
| NORTH EAST SCOTLAND | |
| Grampian Women’s Aid | Aberdeen Donside |
| Angus Citizens Advice Bureau (SCIO) | Angus South |
| SOUTH SCOTLAND | |
| Home-Start East Lothian | East Lothian |
| Roxburgh and Berwickshire Citizens Advice Bureau | Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire |
| Eildon West Youth Hub | Midlothian South, Tweeddale & Lauderdale |