Voluntary, community and faith groups in Preston will receive funding from councillors under a new county scheme.

Lancashire County Council’s Local Member Grant Scheme will give councillors the chance to make small grants to groups and organisations that make a difference in their local areas.

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Funding will go towards specific projects that benefit the community rather than the general running costs of the groups, with each councillor allotted £2,000 each year to give away to organisations working in their communities.

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County Councillor Phillippa Williamson, leader of Lancashire County Council, said: “We know what a difference grants like these can make to community projects, and as a new administration, we were keen that to reintroduce them.

“All 84 councillors will have a pot of £2,000 each to make grants to support some of the amazing work we already know is happening at a grassroots level.”

Williamson said the council particularly wants to help smaller groups and those looking for small sums of money, with a minimum grant level set at £100.

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Larger charities and organisations are welcome to apply, and the scheme is open to groups with less capacity and resources, which might find applying for grants daunting or difficult.

Williamson said: “The difference that such groups can make in their communities with relatively small amounts of money is well understood and something the council wanted to support.”

The council cabinet will discuss the scheme at its next meeting on Thursday 4 November, and the whole council will discuss it at its meeting in December.

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They are expected to vote for the reintroduction of the scheme, which previously ran from 2006 to 2017, from January next year.

Grants will be offered to projects that meet the council’s corporate priorities, particularly ‘Caring for the Vulnerable’ and ‘Protecting our Environment’.

Applications will be considered by each group’s local county councillor, who will decide which projects should be supported.

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Who do you think will benefit from a grant? Let us know in the comments below