GRANTS worth a total of £9,000 have been awarded to community groups near a surface mine.

The company behind the opencast development at the Bradley site, between Dipton and Leadgate, is now looking for more applications from other local good causes before the next meeting of the funding committee.

Banks Mining, part of The Banks Group, will direct around £50,000 of the revenues generated at the mine, into the fund with individual grants of up to £3,000, which are primarily for capital projects, available to deserving causes.

The three recipients of the fund’s first grants, who have each been awarded the maximum amount, will be announced in the near future.

Lewis Stokes, community relations manager at The Banks Group, said: “The fund is just one of the ways in which the Bradley surface mine delivers tangible benefits to the local community and we were very pleased with the number and quality of the initial applications we received.

“The committee members have picked out some very interesting and valuable local projects, and we’re keen to ensure they have as many applications to consider when their next meeting comes around.”

The Bradley community benefits fund is independently administered by the County Durham Community Foundation, and a funding committee made up of community representatives is responsible for ensuring the money is spent in ways which meet local priorities.

The panel, which includes Durham County Councillors Ivan Jewell and Alan Shield, Andy Plant of the Leadgate Area Partnership, Father John Bagnall, Fiona Maddick of Durham Constabulary, is due to meet again September and Banks Mining is looking for more ideas from local community groups on how the funds might be used.

Mr Stokes said: “We’re keen to hear as many ideas from as many different local groups as we can.”

For more information about grant funding call James Eaglesham at the County Durham Community Foundation on 0191-378-6342.