EAST Lancashire charities have until the end of the month to mobilise their supporters in a bid to win a public vote to secure vital funding.

The Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team, the Sophie Lancaster Foundation and the Oswaldtwistle Civic Arts Centre are among more than 3,000 organisations from across the country that hope to attract enough votes by May 31.

The competition is being run by insurance company Aviva through it’s community fund.

If successful the East Lancashire organisations will be among 362 projects elected to receive funding awards from £1,000 to £25,000.

The Sophie Lancaster Foundation, which was set up after the 20-year-old Haslingden girl was murdered in 2007, has already attracted more than 1,000 votes and hopes to be given a grant of around £25,000.

For eight years it has educated people about alternative subcultures (goths, emos, moshers, punks and skaters) and other minority groups.

The Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team is seeking around £15,000 to replace the team’s waterproof equipment.

The team, with more than 1,200 votes so far, has up to 50 volunteers and each set costs £300 per person.

The Hyndburn Arts Trust is also seeking up to £10,000 to continue it’s work with young people from the area to put on a show for the elderly at Oswaldtwistle Civic Arts Centre.

For more details, or to vote, visit community-fund.aviva.co.uk/cms.