Edinburgh Cyrenians score with Clydesdale Spirit of the Community Award

Two community groups in the capital have been awarded a combined funding boost of £15,000 through the Clydesdale Bank Spirit of the Community Awards to recognise the important role they play in the local community.

The Spirit of the Community Awards announced the substantial donations to voluntary groups at an awards ceremony in Glasgow to recognise the charities and not-for-profit organisations which are going the extra mile.

Twelve community groups across Scotland were selected to share funding of £75,000 to make a real difference in their local areas including ProjectScotland based in Edinburgh and Edinburgh Cyrenian Trust.

ProjectScotland based in Edinburgh offers young people throughout Scotland aged between 16-30 years the opportunity to make a positive contribution to their community through 3 month volunteering placements with local charities and has been awarded £10,000.

Edinburgh Cyrenian Trust is an independent charity which works with vulnerable people to help address homelessness, addiction issues and helps lead people into employment. The social and welfare group has been awarded £5,000 to assist fund a part time worker who will deliver support to some of the most distanced from the labour market.

Now in its third year, the awards programme aims to recognise charities and not-for-profit organisations for the invaluable contributions they make to their local communities.  Groups were invited to enter the awards scheme under one of three categories; financial education, employability and environment.

An overall winning group has been selected in each category securing £10,000 of funding, along with three highly commended winners that were each awarded £5,000.

Debbie Crosbie, Chair of Yorkshire and Clydesdale Bank Foundation, said: “Clydesdale Bank’s Spirit of the Community Awards recognise and support the important role that voluntary and charitable organisations play in their local communities. It has been inspiring to see the great work that is being done at grass roots level across Scotland.

“ProjectScotland and Edinburgh Cyrenian Trust are both extremely deserving winners and have been recognised for their community spirit with these awards from Clydesdale Bank.”

Tully Treslove, Mentoring Manager at ProjectScotland, said: “ProjectScotland helps young people aged 16-30 to get on in life through volunteering. Mentoring is a vital part of our programme and this award from Clydesdale Bank will transform our service in the South West of Scotland. We will recruit, train, and provide ongoing support to 30 Mentors in the area, and by working with Clydesdale Bank branches, we’ll also be able to sign-up employees to work with a local young person.”

Rachael Wallace-Lane, Head of Early Intervention for Edinburgh Cyrenian Trust, said: “The grant from the Yorkshire and Clydesdale Bank Foundation will support the work we are doing with some of those who are most disconnected from the labour market. By supporting vulnerable people to stabilize their lives and return to work we will be reducing the need for them to call on a whole range of services, in addition to those aimed at employability.”

Clydesdale Bank’s sister organisation, Yorkshire Bank, has also announced 12 successful recipients of £75,000 as part of the Spirit of the Community Awards initiative.  This brings the total funds awarded to 24 community groups up and down the country to £150,000.

For further information about Yorkshire and Clydesdale Bank Foundation’s Spirit of the Community Awards, please visit www.cbonline.co.uk/foundation