Community projects in Scotland are being invited to enter an awards programme which could see them share a funding boost of £75,000 to make a real difference in their local area.

Now in their fifth year, the Clydesdale Bank Spirit of the Community Awards 2017 is open for applications.

Clydesdale Bank will make donations to recognise and support community projects which are going the extra mile. Registered charities and not for profit organisations are invited to enter their projects into the awards scheme under one of three categories: projects which help people to have a healthy relationship with money, projects which help people to improve their local environment and projects which help people into employment.

The awards are open to a range of initiatives across the third sector which can demonstrate support for the local community. This could include projects helping to upskill people for the workplace, ventures promoting healthy relationships with money, or schemes aiming to protect the environment.

Five projects will be selected in each of the three categories and all fifteen winners will be awarded £5,000 each.

Debbie Crosbie, Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank's Chief Operating Officer and Chair of the Yorkshire and Clydesdale Bank Foundation, said: "Clydesdale Bank's Spirit of the Community Awards aim to recognise and support the vital contribution that voluntary and charitable projects make to their local communities.

"There has been so much fantastic work carried out across hundreds of organisations who provide such vital resources for local communities over the past four years. It is hugely inspiring to see just how much of a difference these awards have made at grass roots level".

Clydesdale Bank's sister organisation, Yorkshire Bank, will also award £75,000 to support local projects in England as part of the programme. This brings the total funds available for community initiatives up and down the country to £150,000.

For further information about the Yorkshire and Clydesdale Bank Foundation's Spirit of the Community Awards or to enter, people can visit www.cbonline.co.uk or go into their local Clydesdale Bank branch to receive an application form.

The closing date for applications is Monday, 6th March, 2017 and the winners will be announced in summer 2017.