COMMUNITY groups and projects are being urged to put a bid in for a share of £75,000.

Yorkshire Bank Spirit of the Community Awards 2017, now in its fifth year, is open for applications.

Registered charities and not for profit organisations are invited to enter their projects into the awards scheme under one of three categories: projects which help people to have a healthy relationship with money, projects which help people to improve their local environment and projects which help people into employment.

Debbie Crosbie, Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks chief operating officer and chairwoman of the Yorkshire and Clydesdale Bank Foundation, said: “The Spirit of the Community Awards aim to recognise and support the vital contribution that voluntary and charitable projects make to their local communities.

“There has been so much fantastic work carried out across hundreds of organisations who provide such vital resources for local communities over the past four years. It is hugely inspiring to see just how much of a difference these awards have made at grass roots level.”

The awards are open to a range of initiatives across the third sector which can demonstrate support for the local community.

Five projects will be selected in each of the three categories and all 15 winners will be awarded £5,000 each.

For further information visit www.ybonline.co.uk/foundation or go into their local Yorkshire Bank branch to receive an application form. The closing date for applications is Monday, March 6 and the winners will be announced in summer 2017.