COMMUNITY groups in Hyndburn have been urged to beat the deadline and benefit from cash grants from the Oswaldtwistle Moor wind farm.

Energy firm EnergieKontor, which built the controversial wind farm, has already funded more more than a dozen environmental projects in Hyndburn worth more than £100,000.

And the Prospects Foundation, which manages the ‘Windfall Fund’, is on the look-out for more worthy causes.

Windfall Fund coordinator, Alison Silver, said: "It is important for groups wishing to start projects to apply for this round of funding as the panel will meet in mid-January to assess the applications and it usually takes up to a month to process successful applications and for groups to receive the funding. Their projects can then start at the end of February or in spring time.

“The most popular theme supported in rounds one to seven is local food and the largest individual grant has gone to the waste and recycling theme closely followed by biodiversity – conservation in Hyndburn.

"We welcome applications under the energy, sustainable transport, waste and recycling, biodiversity, local food growing and environmental awareness themes for a small or large project.

"Some areas of Hyndburn have only received small amounts of funding and we want to encourage applications from all types of community organisations.”

Grants of £2,000 are available to smaller projects while there is no upper limit on projects of a larger scale.

Projects that have benefited from funding so far include Sandy Lane Gardening Group, which installed a chicken coop at Pendle View in Huncoat and Community Solutions North West, which used cash to develop its community RePaint scheme across the borough.

Accrington-based Aawaz used money to raise environmental awareness among South Asian women while the Hyndburn District Explorer Scout Unit developed an allotment plot at Woodnook.

The fund, set up with the opening of the wind farm last year, is open to all community groups that have a proper constitution and a bank account.

But projects must be related to the environment.

The closing date for applications to the latest round of grants is noon on Friday, December 12.

To apply for a grant from the funds, call Alison Silver on 01254 230348, ext 206, or you can also email alison.silver@prospectsfoundation.org.uk