CHARITIES in East Lancashire are being encouraged to apply for grants from the parent company of The Lancashire Telegraph.

The Gannett Foundation is the charitable arm of Gannett, which owns the Telegraph’s publisher, Newsquest Media Group.

In the past 10 years alone, the foundation has made grants in the UK totalling nearly £4million.

Many charities across the borough have benefited from the grant, including homeless charity Nightsafe and Rossendale Hospice last year.

Blackburn’s Nightsafe received a cheque for £5,530 for tumble dryers for its shelter supporting homeless and vulnerable young people.

Rossendale Hospice received a £2,115 donation for a shower trolley to aid its care for patients with life-limiting conditions.

In total, 52 grants were made across the circulation areas of the 165 publications owned by Gannett’s UK arm Newsquest.

We are looking for practical and creative projects that bring lasting benefits to the communities and neighbourhoods served by our newspapers and online audience.

That includes schemes for neighbourhood improvement and local problem-solving, economic development, youth development, education and cultural enrichment, care of the elderly or infirm, help for the disadvantaged or disabled, and environmental conservation.

We particularly invite clearly reasoned applications asking for specific items of equipment or materials.

Most of our applications are for relatively modest sums under £10,000 meeting every-day needs, but we will consider worthwhile projects on a bigger scale.

We are also able to join with other contributors to support more ambitious projects.

While preference will be given to ideas which create a durable legacy for the community, we will consider single events or projects of limited duration that otherwise meet the criteria.

Applications must be submitted on the approved application form, available from lisa.schofield@nqnw.co.uk.

Completed forms should be sent to the same email address.

Submissions via post are not encouraged, but if unavoidable, they must be sent to 50-54 Church Street, Blackburn, BB1 5AL, by October 9.

Applicants must supply copies of the most recent accounts (where required by the Charities Commission) or other financial information, together with any supporting materials and details of the organisation’s managing committee.

It will be a condition of each grant that the recipient must report back on it use to the Chairman of the Trustees within 12 months of the award.

Applicants must be registered charities and must not have received a grant from Gannett within the last two years.

The grants will not fund salaries, professional fees or day-to-day or maintenance costs, general appeals as opposed to specific projects or projects that do not bring benefits to our communities, or that have political or religious objectives.

Not eligible are state or privately run schools (other than special needs) or hospitals (other than hospices).