EIGHT charities in Scotland have been selected to share part of a £1.25 million funding package from the ScottishPower Foundation.

Its annual award fund seeks to aid bodies which make a positive difference in a range of communities.

A support group for autistic young people, an anti-bullying project, a STEM learning programme and a therapeutic initiative for vulnerable children will all be among recipients of the funding, which is awarded to 25 organisations in total in the UK.

Mike Thornton, chairman of the ScottishPower Foundation, said: “Each year it’s incredible to see the applications received from projects across Scotland that are making a life-changing difference to people in their communities.

“We’re so pleased to announce this year’s funding package for 25 projects across the UK, which are all doing incredible work to make a real difference to their communities and the people living in them.”

In Scotland, the foundation will make donations to Changing Faces, Hearts & Minds, National Autistic Society, National Museums Scotland, The Prince’s Foundation, Music in Hospitals & Care, Maggie Keswick Jencks Cancer Caring Centers Trust and Young Enterprise Scotland.

Phillipa Quinn, fundraising officer for Hearts & Minds, welcomed the funding announcement.

She said: “Hearts & Minds is a charity that relies on funding to

help us reach the people who

need us most.

“The donation from the ScottishPower Foundation will extend the reach of our Clowndoctors programme – a therapeutic initiative that encourages interaction and communication among vulnerable young people in specialised educational and healthcare settings.

“We can’t thank them enough for this donation.”

The ScottishPower Foundation was established in 2013 with the aim of making a significant and lasting contribution to society, enhancing the lives of people living in communities throughout the UK.

Since then, it has provided funding to registered charities which are involved in the advancement of education, environmental protection, citizenship and community development, science, the arts, heritage or culture as well as the prevention of poverty and relief

of disability.