THREE organisations are going to have a brighter Christmas thanks to a bumper cash bonanza.

The Gannett Foundation - the charitable arm of the Evening Times' parent company - awarded grants totalling £20,400.

And the result will be the expansion of a pioneering cycling project, a new electronic bingo machine for senior citizens and success in a caravan holiday project for disadvantaged families.

Free Wheel North and the Glasgow Children's Holiday Scheme each received £10,000, while the Milton of Campsie Senior Citizens' Association received £400.

"It is absolutely wonderful," said Ann Pert, co-ordinator of the Glasgow Children's Holiday Scheme, which has a number of much-used static caravans at Wemyss Bay.

"The £10,000 grant has made the difference between being able to upgrade our oldest caravan and not doing it."

Every year hundreds of disadvantaged or disabled children and families enjoy holidays in the scheme's caravans.

"We have part-exchanged an old 2001 caravan for an unused 2012 Atlan Chorus caravan," Ann added. "It's an eight-berth model with three bedrooms, double glazing and central heating. It is just beautiful."

At Free Wheel North, the cycling development charity, they were equally delighted with their £10,000 grant. The charity runs a cycling centre at Glasgow Green, with a wide range of bikes that enables people of all ages to enjoy the benefits of pedal power.

Free Wheel North's Norman Armstrong said the money would be used to set up a similar operation in the central belt.

At Milton of Campsie, Zena Shovlin, the chairwoman of the senior citizens' association, and Rosemary McAloon, the treasurer, were delighted with the grant of £400.

They said the money would allow them to buy an electronic bingo machine as well as new teapots.