EU cash still available in Lancashire - so get your application in

Tom Youds is appealing to groups to apply for cash grants before it is too late.

And Lancashire community groups are being urged to get in quick if they want to grab grants of up to £20,000 from the European Social Fund.

The Workers’ Educational Association has almost £800,000 of Eurocash to hand out in four chunks before July 2021.

And, with the third phase of applications set to close in less than a fortnight, the WEA is advising groups to get online now and apply.

“It’s European money and, although we’ve left the EU, it was funding that was allocated before we left,” said Tom Youds (inset) the ESF Project Organiser for Lancashire.

“It is still available until the middle of next year and anything we don’t spend we will have to hand back. So let’s make sure we spend it.”

The first two phases of the scheme have seen grants handed out to 22 organisations in Lancashire. But many of those have been in the east of the county, with only one in Preston.

“I don’t know why most have been in the M65 corridor - Blackburn, Hyndburn, Burnley and Colne,” said Tom.

“It would be nice to have had a few more from Central Lancashire and the Fylde Coast, but they just haven’t applied.

"It may be that we just haven’t reached them, or maybe it’s because the communities in the east of the county are a bit more aware of what’s happening.

“But organisations will have to work quickly to get their applications in.

"Round three opened on January 22 and closes on February 26, with £195,650 available for around 10 grants.”

In total the European Social Fund is giving away £782,600 in grants of up to £20,000 to eligible groups in Lancashire.

To qualify you must be a third sector organisation such as voluntary or community groups, charities or social enterprise groups.

The third round of applications closes on February 26 and the WEA has around £200,000 to give away to fund projects aimed at moving people closer to the labour market and into employment, further education or training.

To check if you can apply go to: www.wea.org.uk/esfcommunitygrants