CHEQUES totalling almost £30,000 have been handed over to four charities in the district from the Telegraph & Argus’s charitable arm.

The Gannett Foundation, operated by the T&A’s US parent company Gannett, invited deserving candidates to apply for a grant to help provide services in the district.

A number of local organisations applied and four were selected, receiving the news of their successful bids shortly before Christmas.

The charities to benefit in the Bradford area this time range from environmental projects, to community and sensory gardens and an outdoor play structure for young children.

T&A editor Nigel Burton handed over the cheques, which range in value from £5,000 to £9,000.

Recipients of the latest Gannett Foundation grants are:

Aire Rivers Trust: £9,000 towards an environmental project on the River Aire to deter and clear up fly-tipping and host an awareness-raising event.

In its application the trust detailed how North Beck in Keighley is an area particularly blighted by fly-tipping.

“This project will reconnect the businesses and community to reclaim the area and restore it to become a tranquil urban green space,” the organisation stated.

“We will clear the area of fly-tipping and secure it against further incidents by installing a fence and security cameras.”

In terms of benefits to the local community, the application adds: “The whole community would benefit from the area being cleaned and fly-tipping removed. Families would once again be able to access the area and walk in pleasant surroundings beside a local Beck.

“It would improve an urban ward in Keighley and encourage people to get outdoors more. In the long term, the neighbourhood would be safer for people to use.”

Nick Milsom of the Aire Rivers Trust said upon being awarded the grant: “The Aire Rivers Trust is enormously proud of our rivers and streams and the wildlife they support.

“This grant will make a huge difference to our volunteers to enable us to tackle a challenging fly-tipping hotspot in an area of Keighley we have been working to improve over that last year.”

Eccleshill Adventure Playground: £8,795 to construct an outdoor play structure on the site of an indoor play area which was destroyed in an arson attack.

In its application the charity explained how its indoor playroom, known as the “hobbit house” was subject to an arson attack last year.

“This building will need to be demolished and we are hoping to convert an existing garage room into a new indoor play area.

“When the building is demolished we will be left with a large open space and would like to build a play structure in its place. Staff will work with the children and young people to decide the best use of the space and what will suit the needs of the children.”

The benefit to the local community will be through giving children and young people more opportunities to play outdoors in safe play spaces.

The structure will also be made so that parts can be adapted or built onto.

Jenny Turner, of Eccleshill Adventure Playground, said when the grant was announced: “This grant will provide funds so that we can build an exciting new play structure which will be enjoyed by children and young people from across the district. We are very grateful to receive this grant and can’t wait to get started on the building works.”

Bierley Community Association: £5,530 towards a community garden project

In its application the association said it was working to reach further into the community to help vulnerable and harder-to reach people be more active and more connected, through projects such as The Life Garden.

“A community gardening project serving several different community groups with the opportunity to connect with nature and visibly improve the estate. Gardening is an interest that has repeatedly surfaced in conversations with our beneficiaries regarding potential activities.”

“We would like to be able to offer residents and beneficiaries increased opportunity to engage in gardening activity and to be able to enjoy outdoor spaces.

“We have an area behind our community centre that would make a perfect raised garden, where beneficiaries could grow fruit, herbs and vegetables.

“Additionally we would like to offer community members the opportunity to join a roaming gardening club which circulates each week, visiting a different vulnerable person’s garden to help maintain the space.”

Rob Normington, of Bierley Community Association, said when the grant was confirmed: “Recently we developed a space that can now be beautifully transformed into a colourful and functional garden, planted with flowers, fruits and vegetables.

“This wonderful environment will be open to the community to enjoy, and will be maintained primarily by volunteers through our various projects.

“We’ll also be sharing the fruits of the garden with residents through our community centre mini-market.”

Friends of High Royds Memorial Garden in Menston: £5,000 to create a sensory garden.

In its application the group detailed how in the eight years since the charity was formed the former derelict site has attracted favourable attention.

“The intention in 2019 is to create a sensory garden. The memorial garden, which has been designed to allow disabled access, will have a specially-designed sensory section incorporated to appeal to, and help, those who are sight-impaired or are suffering from dementia-related issues.”

“The raised beds will be constructed in York stone to match some existing flower beds and will allow level access for wheelchairs from the main pathways. The beds will be filled iwth plants to stimulate the senses – using colour, scent, texture and sound.”

Of the benefits, the Friends add: “Several hundreds people will benefit directly and thousands indirectly.”

When the funding was announced, Ron Sweeney of the Friends of High Royds Memorial Garden said members would be able to develop a sensory garden in what was once a derelict paupers chapel and graveyard.

“The restoration”, he said, “is due to the help of many willing volunteers and now this generous grant, especially coming at Christmas time, will help us in 2019 to make the garden even more attractive and accessible.”

The Gannett Foundation awarded a total of £30,000 in grants in 2018 to 50 good causes in communities served by Newsquest newspapers.