VILLAGERS are being urged to bid for cash to help community projects reach fruition.

About £60,000 has been made available in a grant scheme running in the Hillside area, near Thirsk.

It has been designed to help new and existing projects develop with the help of cash from the European Regional Development Fund.

Grant co-ordinators are looking to help a range of schemes put forward by parish councils, local community groups, environmental, arts and voluntary organisations, community safety and transport groups.

The vice-chairman of the Hillside Local Development Employment Pact (LDEP), Ann Johnson, said: "The only criteria they have to meet is they will ultimately contribute to the economic development of the area.

"We want to see a range of schemes benefiting from this grant aid - it may help improve childcare provision or community transport or it could cover the costs of a feasibility study into a proposed project. This is a great opportunity for local people to get help to improve the place in which they live."

Set up 18 months ago, the LDEP brings together the parishes of Borrowby, Knayton, Kirby Knowle, South Kilvington, Boltby, Cowesby, Felixkirk and Upsall.

It has already co-ordinated the Hillside, Borrowby and Knayton Parish Plans - action plans which aim to make the area a better place to work and live.

They have resulted in several projects - a community shop, an out-of-school childcare scheme, a rural activities project, a computer suite, a recycling scheme and a Forest for Thirsk environmental project.

The grant scheme will operate until December 2005, and offers up to half of project costs up to a maximum of £10,000.

However, the total cost of a scheme must not exceed £25,000, must not be exclusively leisure or health focused, or be solely for the over-65s or under-16s.

To apply, call David Baker, of Hambleton District Council's Economic Development Unit, on (01609) 767102.

The first grants will be considered next month, with further awards likely in April, June, August, October and December.