A SCHEME which offers thousands of pounds worth of funding to community groups in North Yorkshire has been extended.

The Community First Neighbourhood Matched Fund is run by the South Selby panel, and offers shares of a £34,000 pot to local groups.

Groups can apply for up to £2,500 to help make a difference in the Selby South ward, under the scheme which was launched in 2011.

This week, the organisers of the fund, which also includes Groundwork North Yorkshire and the Community Development Foundation, announced the project will run for a further two years.

Town and district councillor Steve Shaw-Wright, chair of the South Selby Panel, said: “We hope that this fund will help some of the community groups to achieve their long-term objectives and help them to become more sustainable.

“We hope that Community First will bring the community groups in the South Selby Ward closer together and look forward to receiving applications for new projects coming forward this year.”

Groups who have already benefitted from the fund include the Selby Garden Enterprise, which is a garden support service for elderly and disabled tenants, Activities at Abbots, which has provided a holiday play scheme, and Barwic Parade Primary School’s Parents And Friends Association, which was awarded £2,000 to improve community access to its playing fields.

For an application pack, email paul.varney@groundwork.org.uk