AN award winning youth worker from Peebles was amongst the special guests at the Bank of Scotland Foundation's ceremony in Edinburgh.

David Hodson from Tweeddale Youth Action was amongst 150 MSPs and charities who have benefitted from over £9 million of funding from the Foundation over the past five years.

Tweeddale Action Group received a £12,000 grant last year to fund a senior youth worker for developing a Skills Programme to help over 150 disengaged young people from the area.

Mr Hodson, who was named Keep Scotland Beautiful Climate Change Champion earlier this year, was greeted at the reception by Borders MSP Rachel Hamilton.

The Bank of Scotland Foundation's fifth annual Scottish Parliament reception marked the £9 million milestone of funding to over 1,200 charities.

It is estimated that over 500,000 people in communities across Scotland have benefitted.

The Foundation receives an annual donation of £2m from Lloyds Banking Group. In 2015 alone, colleagues made over 2,000 Matched Giving claims Philip Grant, chair of the Scottish Executive Committee, said: "It is always a pleasure to meet those charities who have received funding from the Bank of Scotland Foundation.

"It brings into sharp focus the real difference our funding can make when driven through the immense work they undertake."