THE next round of Crown Paints and Darwen Town Council Community Awards will close on Tuesday July 1.

The annual award scheme is open to local groups and organisations within the Darwen area whose purpose is to serve the community.

Past recipients of the awards have been football teams, cricket clubs, Brownies, Guides and fishing clubs.

The £30,000 scheme, which the town council invests £20,000 and Crown £10,000 into annually, sees grants of up to £2,000 handed out to groups within the BB3 postcode.

In the last cash handout, £4,000 was given to groups including AFC Darwen Juniors, Darwen Girl Guides and Darwen Rangers JFC.

Once all the applications are in, a panel of three town councillors and three representatives from Crown, in Hollins Road, will decide which ones are successful.

To find out more, visit the Darwen Town Council website at www.darwentowncouncil.org.uk/CommunityAwards