Allerdale Borough Council is offering two new grants to communities in the area, which supports the Council’s Tackling Poverty Strategy.

The Community Projects Fund has been set up to support small projects that are being run by community groups, charities or not-for-profit organisations.

The maximum grant available is £1,000, which can be used to fund a single project or an initial contribution towards a larger project where the applicant intends to raise funds through other means.

Applicants should demonstrate that the activity will meet one of the council’s four Tackling Poverty objectives, and should detail how the activity will benefit residents of Allerdale and how it will be measured.

The Work, Skills and Training Fund is available to individuals who need a small amount of funding to support activities that will support employment opportunities, such as access onto a training course or purchasing specialist equipment.

The maximum grant available is £500, and ties into the council’s Tackling Poverty Strategy by supporting people on low incomes to access training to build skills and confidence and help young people into training and employment.

Speaking of the grants, leader of the council Alan Smith said: “The Community Projects Fund and Work, Skills and Training Fund are two new grants that can go a long way to help community groups get their projects off the ground, and I’d encourage groups to find out more and get their application in as soon as possible.”

For full details of both these grants, including eligibility criteria, and to apply, visit www.allerdale.gov.uk/grants.