SCOTTISH restaurant chain Buzzworks Holdings has launched a pioneering initiative to provide a boost to local charities in its area.

The unique quarterly pro-social bonus scheme has rolled out across all nine of Buzzworks’ properties, with the top four performing venues taking a share of £1000 to gift to any registered charity of their choice.

The first round of winners for 2017 were announced this week as The Mill House, Elliots, Lido Troon and The Corner House which saw off stiff competition to take the cash prizes for their chosen charities.

The Mill House in Stewarton took top prize and chose to gift its winning sum of £500 to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children. Second-placed Elliots presented Ayrshire Hospice with £250 and Lido gave £150 to the British Heart Foundation. The final beneficiary of this quarter was Eglinton MS Society which the Corner House in Kilwinning awarded its £100 bonus.

Kenny Blair, Buzzworks Holdings MD, said: “We are really excited to launch this scheme at Buzzworks, which we believe could be the first of its kind within the hospitality industry.

“The pro-social bonus is a way of us giving back and rewarding the hard work and dedication of our employees. By offering the choice of charity to the individual winning venues this ensures our people and the communities we work in come first.

“All of the staff pulled together to try and win for their selected charities and judging was difficult, however, there were four clear winners within the first quarter.”