As the National Lottery approaches its 30^th birthday, it has become a vital part of the community funding landscape across the UK.

This December, the National Lottery Community Fund – which harnesses dormant assets from bank accounts and other holdings for the UK Government – has announced 41 groups who will benefit from £3.5 million through its Young Start programme in Scotland.

From the Borders to Lerwick, Ayrshire to Perthshire, numerous worthy causes have benefited and a full list of awards made from the fund in this round is available here.