FIVE Scottish charities are among a total of 23 across the UK to benefit from the latest tranche of money from the £35 million Armed Forces Covenant Fund, which uses the fines levied on banks that tried to manipulate Libor interest rates.

The announcement was made by David Cameron at the first Armed Forces Charities reception in No 10.

Since Chancellor George Osborne announced in October 2012 that £35m of funds from fines imposed on the banking industry would be used to benefit the armed forces community, £13.5m has been awarded to military charities.

Last night, by announcing a further £9.2m, the Prime Minister has taken the funds to be shared between 72 charities to £22.7m, including £2.7m for the Help for Heroes Hidden Wounds Programme.

In Aberdeenshire, Horseback UK is receiving £110,000 funding for an arena, which it uses to rehabilitate veterans through equine therapy.

In Glasgow, the Coming Home Centre will get £107,000 to develop four resource centres for members of the armed forces, those in transition, veterans and their families.

Three councils - East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde - will receive a total of £87,000 to help establish a standard, veterans and service leavers' community pathway hub, which will provide a one-stop shop for housing, employment, benefits, addiction and medical treatment.

Gardening Leave, an Ayrshire-based charity, will receive £73,000 to convert a vacant bowls pitch and pavilion near Dundee to provide horticultural therapy for troubled veterans.

Royal British Legion Scotland will receive £14,000 to aid their work in Inverness providing care for ex-service personnel in care homes in later life and to expand their operation for care in partnership with Erskine.