GLASGOW groups are to receive a cash boost of more than £28,000 thanks to a charitable fund run by the publisher of the Evening Times.

Pollokshaws Area Network, Cue and Review, YoMo Glasgow, Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland (West) and the Glasgow Children’s Holiday Scheme will all benefit.

The grants are being provided by Newsquest Media Group’s charitable arm, The Gannett Foundation UK, which has given more than £3m to help community projects all over the country in the last decade.

Glasgow Children’s Holiday Scheme, which recently celebrated 60 years of helping families enjoy much-needed breaks, received £10,000.

The money will be spent on refurbishing an adapted caravan in Wemyss Bay.

Douglas Wilson, co-ordinator at GCHS, said: “We are absolutely over the moon. This money will mean we can refurbish our caravan which has been specially adapted for people with disabilities and mobility issues.

“It’s really important for us to be able to cater for as many young people and families as we can, and to be as inclusive as possible.”

He added: “Our adapted caravan was showing signs of wear and tear – as it should, having been used by hundreds of families – and we pride ourselves on having high standards, so this £10,000 will allow us to do a full refit. We are delighted.”

Glasgow Children’s Holiday Scheme was set up in the mid-1950s, when community worker Lilias Graham realised many of the Gorbals families she supported simply did not have the money or means to give their children a break from grimy, noisy city life.

Since then, the servie has organised holidays for thousands of disadvantaged children. To commemorate its 60th anniversary, the “wee charity with a big heart” published Making Memories, a colourful, cheerful book about families and friendship, adventure and hope.

Cue and Review, the talking newspapers charity which records articles from the Evening Times, Herald and The National to help visually impaired people keep in touch with the news, received a grant of £10,550 from the Gannett Foundation.

Founder and managing editor Alastair McPhee, who set up Cue and Review in 1982, said: “This is brilliant news, although I am now suffering the effects of doing an ill-advised conga round the office in celebration.”

He added: “Cue and Review has been going for 36 years and we are entirely independently funded, relying on grants like this and donations.

“This brilliant grant will allow us to improve our studios here in the Bishopbriggs Media Centre, upgrading our network cabling and studio recording systems.

“It’s fantastic for us, and we’re really grateful to Gannett. We have 1600 listeners now and we are keen to raise awareness of our talking newspaper service, and of the 60 talking newspaper groups across Scotland.”

Pollokshaws Area Network received £1560 to pay for a polytunnel, greenhouse and cookery equipment as part of a community garden project.

The project brings neighbours together for a whole host of initiatives, from gardening and yoga to singing and more.

Co-ordinator Fiona Eadie said: “This is wonderful news. We have been doing a lot of work in the community garden and this well help us develop our plans for growing sessions and cookery workshops.”

Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland (West), which is based in Glasgow received £2000 towards the cost of communication booklets for people living with aphasia following a stroke, and youth charity YoMo (Glasgow) received £4975 towards equipment and materials for a training room.

Other Scottish recipients were Tullibody Community Trust, who received £5000 to help equip a new community café in Clackmannanshire; and Fife Employment Access Trust, who were awarded £8000 towards the cost of regenerating a run-down public park in Leven in Fife.

If your group missed out this year, you can try again next year. A

wards are made on merit and applications are invited in the summer – look out for details in the Evening Times.

Chairman of the trustees Simon Westrop said: “Amid all the political and economic turmoil, real life goes on, of course. It is a privilege for the trustees to be able to do a little something to help where we can.

“If your application did not succeed this time, please don’t be discouraged, but look at the applications that have won grants and think how you can come up with even better ideas next year.

“Often we think the best applications are not the headline-grabbers but the small ones that meet a particular need and instantly improve daily life.”