Charities are being invited to apply for the latest round of grants being offered by the charitable foundation of the Telegraph & Argus.

The Newsquest Awards look to support projects which take a creative approach to issues such as education, neighbourhood improvement, economic and youth development and assistance to culturally and financially disadvantaged people.

The grants are handed out twice a year by the Gannett Foundation, the charitable arm of US media company Gannett, which owns Newsquest, the British parent group of the T&A.

The grants are given to registered charities only and range from £1,000 to £5,000, although larger grants can be made for exceptional projects.

Charities in the Bradford area which have benefited from the scheme include Bradford Community Environment Project, Bradford Nightstop, which helps the homeless, education project The Vine Trust, which works with expelled teenagers, and Haworth Riding for the Disabled, which was able to buy a fibreglass horse for training purposes thanks to a grant from the foundation.

BCEP received a £15,000 grant towards a new van which helped it expand its community regeneration work throughout the district.

Rob Dark, who runs BCEP's urban works team, said: "It's raised our profile and we've managed to secure £1.4 million funding from the next round of the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund."

The money is part of a two-year, £4 million NRF project, supported by £500,000 of cash from Bradford Council and others, which will see BCEP manage a special task force, drawing up designs with local people to transform eyesores into community gardens.

Mr Dark said: "It will allow us to take local environmental action on 50 derelict sites. We have a design team working with the council and a wardens team to identify sites and draw up designs. We now have a team of 14."

He added that without the foundation's support this project would not have been possible.

"Really it's down to the work we did using the T&A van," he said.

To apply for the latest round of grants, contact the Editor's Secretary, Anne Dransfield, on (01274) 705228 for an application form, criteria and guidelines.

Completed applications should be returned to T&A managing editor Peter Orme, at the Telegraph & Argus, Hall Ings, Bradford, BD1 1JR, by Friday, October 6.

e-mail: newsdesk@bradford.newsquest.co.uk