Grants fund deadline extended after lack of applications

A £5,000 pot of community cash for Arnside is lying unspent after getting hardly any applications from local groups The money was set aside by water company United Utilities to help non-profit organisations in and around the picturesque seaside village.
Now engineers have extended the closing date for applications by two weeks until October 5 in a last-ditch bid to encourage fund-raisers.

"Grants of up to £500 each are available to support community and voluntary groups, schools and charities whose work makes Arnside a better place for people to live, work or play," said project manager Paul Romanko.

"The main criteria for securing a grant is that the group will benefit people in the Arnside area."

United Utilities set up the fund as a thank you to local people for putting up with a summer of upheaval while the company laid a new outfall pipe into the Kent Estuary. The pipe is part of a £5m scheme to help reduce the impact of storm overflows into the sea during heavy rains.

The application form is available by emailing CommunityGrantFund@uuplc.co.uk or via post to Community Grant Fund, Capital Delivery, United Utilities, 1st Floor Haweswater House, Lingley Mere, Lingley Green Avenue, Warrington, WA5 3LP.

Projects which are not eligible include grant and loan schemes, party political activity and sponsorship for individuals.