A collection of Yamaha instruments valued at $21,000 (£12,818) has been donated to a lucky school in North Carolina, US as part of the Lend a Hand scheme.

Violins, violas, portable digital recorders and digital pianos have been donated to the Community School of the Arts (CSA) in Charlotte by Yamaha as part of the NBC Today Show's Lend a Hand scheme.

The donation provides a boost at a time when economic pressures are impacting on investment in new equipment.

CSA was set up to provide artistic and cultural experiences to communities, offering private instruction on more than 20 different instruments, including summer camps, family workshops and music therapy courses.

Commenting on the donation, vice-president of human resources at the Yamaha Corporation of America Carol Baker, said: "With so many communities in need of arts education support and funding, Yamaha was thrilled to take part in this wonderful project.

"Yamaha has a rich heritage of community outreach and this project underscores our commitment to supporting music education at all levels."

The donation comes as Yamaha announced that it is set to shut down its Taiwan manufacturing plant at the end of July, citing high production costs.

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