Community groups across the north-east are being invited to apply for a share of a £104,000 cash pot.
The Banff and Buchan Area Initiative Fund – which is backed by Aberdeenshire Council – offers grants to organisations that want to enhance and strengthen their communities.
The scheme has been in place for five years, but for the past two years has been offering a larger £104,000 sum.
Previously, participating projects had competed for half as much.
Last night, the region’s area manager Margaret-Jane Cardno said: “The money given is used for local priorities, so that can be anything from the environment to health and wellbeing.
“It’s quite a broad fund so it can be transport, connectivity or safety in the larger towns.
“We’re completely open-minded about the organisations that apply.
“The only eligibility is that they have to be constituted and be able to provide financial records.”
The fund offers grants of up to £10,000 to any group and will contribute a maximum of 80% of their total goal.
Mrs Cardno added: “There has been so much positive work by the community in Banff and Buchan to improve the region, so we wanted to encourage and promote this development.”
She is now encouraging as many groups as possible to apply for help through the grant scheme.
And she said: “We’ve had a lot of interest already and it is a great opportunity for them.
“We want to build up more and greater engagement in the community, so they can be empowered to keep making their own decisions.”
Groups can apply for a share of the fund by contacting the area manager’s team through e-mail to banffandbuchanamo@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or calling 01261 813307.
Groups which have successfully applied for money through the fund include the Trinity Church Project in Banff, which was awarded £10,000 in 2013 to revitalise its kirk.
