COMMUNITY groups across Essex are invited to apply for grants from the Community Initiatives Fund. The fund, now in its fifth round, has so far distributed �9 million to 1000 groups with grants ranging from a few hundred pounds to tens of thousands of pou

COMMUNITY groups across Essex are invited to apply for grants from the Community Initiatives Fund.

The fund, now in its fifth round, has so far distributed �9 million to 1000 groups with grants ranging from a few hundred pounds to tens of thousands of pounds. The fund is divided equally between the county's 12 districts and boroughs with up to �100,000 available for each district in the current round.

Essex County Councillor John Jowers, Cabinet Member for Localism and Planning, said: "The unique thing about this initiative is that the judging panel for each district is made up of local representatives, enabling local people to decide which local projects they wish to support. This is a perfect example of localism working at its best."

Potential applicants have until Friday November 6 to submit an application. The panels will then meet in February and March 2010 to determine the outcome of the applications.

For more information visit www.communityinitiativesfund.co.uk or call 07929 543 523 for a paper application form and guidelines.