Local funding pots are available for 31 towns and villages across North West Leicestershire - with Ashby getting a £10,000 boost.

Voluntary and community groups are invited to apply for funding from the new UKSPF Community Grant to support work to improve and enhance their local area.

North West Leicestershire District Council's (NWLDC) UKSPF Community Grant has received £300,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The programme will see all 31 areas across the district allocated funding, with community groups, parish and town councils and voluntary organisations able to bid for some, or all, of the funding for a project.

Projects should be able to meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Increase the number of visitors to an area
• Improve the perception, or accessibility, of an area
• Increase the number, or perception, of events
• Involve volunteers

The allocation in and around Ashby is:

• Ashby de la Zouch £10,000

• Appleby Magna £3,350

• Ashby Woulds £4,500

• Measham £5,000

• Normanton le Heath £3,025

• Oakthorpe and Donisthorpe £3,900

• Packington £3,200

• Snarestone £3,075

• Staunton Harold £3,000

• Stretton en le Field £3,025

Funding pots will be available for 2022/23 and 2023/24, with £150,000 distributed across the district each year. Communities have been assigned funds of between £3,000 and £10,000 each per year, depending on population size.

The first round of applications opened on 3 April and closes on 30 June 2023.

A second round of applications may be opened for any unspent funding. Further details will be available at a later date.

For more information and to apply visit HERE.

 Paul Wheatley, Head of Economic Regeneration at NWLDC, said: "We want to hear from voluntary and community groups who want to make a difference to their area with a UKSPF Community Grant.

"We have wanted to make sure all 31 communities across the district are able to share the funding we've been given by the UKSPF fund, and so localised funding pots will ensure each area can benefit from a minimum of £3,000."