COMMUNITY and voluntary groups working in the Ashbrow area of Huddersfield are being encouraged to come forward to apply for grants.

The cash is available from the Ashbrow Community First Panel, which will award grants between £250 and £2,500 per year per project.

Around £84,000 is available for the next four years with £14,000 already handed out in allocations for 2011.

Groups which have so far benefited from grants include The Deanery Project, Agewell Kirklees and Bradley TRA and others.

Cllr Jean Calvert, Kirklees Council, Joint Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Communities said: "This is a great opportunity for local community and voluntary groups to come forward with new and innovative projects that address the priorities of their neighbourhood."

The money for the Community First Panels has come from the government and is being managed by the Community Development Foundation.

Any grant must be match funded by the group but this can be equivalent to volunteer hours and not just cash.

Groups which have so far benefited from grants include The Deanery Project,

Agewell Kirklees and Bradley TRA.

Nationally Community First is an £80m funding programme from the Office for Civil Society.

It is aim is help communities come together through new and existing community groups, to identify their strengths and local priorities, and plan for their future.

For more information go to www.communitykirklees.org.uk/ funding/community-first/