THE National Lottery Charities Board (NLCB) are holding a one-day conference in an attempt to attract more applications for grants from Blackpool and the Fylde.

News of the event follows the realisation that the area has applied for hardly any money at all from the board, which gives varying grants to voluntary and community groups deemed in need of funding.

The NLCB has already awarded 2,154 grants across the north west, totalling £158,128,373. Surprisingly, groups in Blackpool and the Fylde have received only 33 grants, worth £4,103,753.

Andy Freeney, the North West Regional Manager for the NLCB, said: "Our regional strategy commits us to increasing the number of successful applications from those areas that have only received a small number of grants.

"We are holding this conference because we are very concerned that Blackpool and the Wyre and Fylde do not feature regularly in our list of successes."

The NLCB are encouraging voluntary and community groups who are interested in applying to them for a grant to attend, as they will receive advice on a wide range of things, from planning a project to completing the application form. Staff will also be on hand all day to answer questions.

Andy Freeney added: "People think of lottery grants as things that are awarded to other groups and not their own, but you never know whether you will be successful unless you apply."

The conference takes place on March 10 at 10am at Blackpool Sports Centre, Stanley Park.

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