CHARITIES and community groups across the Bradford district are being urged to sign up for this year’s Gannett Foundation grants, to be in with a chance of receiving thousands of pounds worth of funding.

The Gannett Foundation is the charitable arm of Gannett, the parent company of the Telegraph & Argus, and each year runs a campaign to reward hardworking and important charities.

Last year was one of Bradford’s most successful years, with four groups sharing almost £16,000 of funding and 32 groups applying for funding.

Bradford Rowing Club, Bradford Toy Library, Artwork Creative Communities and Sandale Community Development Trust were all selected by a panel of judges to receive funding, which over the past year has made a considerable difference to people in the district.

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The recipient of the biggest amount was the Bradford Rowing Club, which received £5,000 to buy two new stable sculling boats for rowers with special needs, allowing less able-bodied people to safely take part in the sport alongside able-bodied people.

The boats arrived five weeks ago, and will be officially unveiled at the club’s 150th anniversary regatta on Saturday, September 9.

Celia Hickson, club president, said the boats will be named ‘Telegraph’ and ‘Argus’ in recognition of the grant.

She said: “Since they came we have had the boats out a little bit, but as part of their learning our disabled members have been out on different boats fire to prepare them.

“Everyone is really excited, these are the first new boats we have had for a while and they signal the start of a whole new programme for the club.”

Artworks Creative Communities, based at the Delius Arts and Cultural Centre in Great Horton Road, won £4,730 towards a new community garden at the centre.

The community garden features two small greenhouses, a cultivation cave, a fridge freezer for food produce storage and cooking sessions, herb drying racks, two gazebos, outdoor safety lighting, CCTV cameras and a monitor, and opened a few weeks ago after months of work.

Estelle Cooper, project coordinator at ACC, said once the CCTV is fitted on Monday the garden will be complete.

She said: “It is looking great, we had our launch event a few weeks ago and got a fantastic response from people there.

“It has a great future at the centre and will give us quite a few different areas of focus.

“The money helped us invest in security which will make a massive difference, we do not want something happening to scupper all this hard work.”

Gannett’s grant helped the group invest in high quality items such as a glass greenhouse, and a new fridge freezer to preserve products grown in the garden.

Bradford Toy Library, based at St Luke’s Hospital, was awarded £3,450 to buy a new mobile hoist, which could be rented out to families with children with severe physical disabilities to use on holidays.

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Susan Blissett, who volunteers at the Toy Library, said everyone was “over the moon” to receive the grant.

She said: “We just want to say a massive thank you for the support.

“The hoist will help our families with less able-bodied children, it means they will be able to borrow it to go on holidays and their children may need help getting into beds.”

The final recipient was the Sandale Community Development Trust, based in Buttershaw, who were handed £2,780.

The Trust used the money to set up a year-long Sunday roast dinner club for up to 40 people, arts and crafts, and meals on wheels.

The aim of the club is to reduce loneliness among local elderly people and to help them make friends, and the trust also provides lunch clubs, bingo sessions, a community kitchen and a charity shop for local people in Buttershaw.

Shannon Worsley, of the trust, said the clubs help to stop elderly people from being isolated and gives them an opportunity to socialise, and the club members were happy to hear they had received the grant.

The deadline for applications to be made this year is Friday, October 6. For an application form visit telegraphandargus.co.uk/grants, and submit the completed form to elaine.wilson@nqyne.co.uk.

Applications must be sent via email.