Applying to the foundation for funding is highly competitive each year. The charities that are successful in securing funding show passion, skill and commitment to making a positive change in their communities. 

From educational programmes to musical workshops, the fund will enable projects across the country to deliver philanthropic work, supporting thousands of beneficiaries.

Among the nine Scottish recipients is the Dynamic Earth Charitable Trust, which has been awarded over £86,500 towards the creation of a new, state-of-the-art planetarium that will transport audiences through the history of the universe, demonstrating how humans have impacted the world and the environmental challenges the planet faces such as climate change, wildfires and shrinking ice caps. The funding will also help create a mobile planetarium programme which will visit schools and remote areas to teach them about the planet and its history.

Other charities in Scotland that will benefit from the funding include the Bumblebee Conservation Trust which is working to safeguard threatened populations of one of the UK’s rarest bumblebees, the Great Yellow bumblebee; Youth Connections whose ‘Change Yer Tune’ programme in Greenock will help children form friendships and build confidence in some of Scotland’s most disadvantaged communities; Starcatchers which will inspire children living in kinship care in South Ayrshire through art; and Sporting Memories Foundation Scotland which will help older people to improve their strength and balance through physical exercise, enhancing their wellbeing and prolonging independent living.

Meanwhile, Changing Faces will deliver its national ‘Pledge to be Seen’ campaign, a programme to help change attitudes towards those living with visible differences; National Theatre of Scotland will use funds to create a nationwide programme focusing on the theme of care; Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland will employ support workers to provide guidance to families with children transitioning into school or nursery; and RSPB Scotland will deliver a new project to help the declining population of swifts in Edinburgh and beyond.

Melanie Hill, executive officer and trustee at the ScottishPower Foundation, said: “At the ScottishPower Foundation, we’re passionate about supporting causes that really make a difference for communities, committed to fighting climate change, and dedicated to helping young people achieve their full potential for a brighter future. The charities we’re funding this year do all of that – and more – carrying out exceptional work, often in challenging circumstances, as they strive to make lives better.

 “We recognise that now, more than ever, people are relying on charities and their services and we’re very proud to support these efforts in such a meaningful way. We’ll continue to work closely with our charity partners to help maximise the impact of our ScottishPower Foundation funding to achieve the best possible outcomes for people and communities across the UK.”

The full list of this year’s funding recipients are:

• Kidscape Campaign for Children’s Safety
• Changing Faces
• South Tyneside Churches KEY Project
• Inter Madrassah Organisation
• National Theatre of Scotland
• Youth Connections
• The Customs House
• Starcatchers
• Nightingale House Hospice
• Bangor University (Reaching Wider North and Mid Wales partnership)
• The Literacy Pirates
• Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust
• Bendrigg Trust
• The Movement for Non-Mobile Children (Whizz-Kidz)
• Acorns (North Tyneside)
• Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland
• Dynamic Earth Charitable Trust
• Size of Wales
• The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
• Bumblebee Conservation Trust
• Sporting Memories Foundation Scotland