SCHOOLS and community groups entering the Grimewatch competition this year could get a boost for their environmental projects.

The Grimewatch team has joined forces with home improvements giant Wickes to give away £1,000 in vouchers to deserving projects which need help to take shape.

The winners could be schoolchildren who need paint to finish off an outdoor mural or pond materials for a playground improvement scheme -- or members of a community group who need paving stones and bricks to create a patio and raised beds for the benefit of local people.

Three projects will benefit from the giveaway. One will receive £500, one £300 and the other £200.

Wickes is a well-established "one-stop shop" for home and outdoor improvements projects. To ensure customers get the best value for money, virtually all Wickes products are manufactured to their own specifications and sold under the Wickes brand.

The vouchers can be used at any of the company's home improvements centres, including the one in Great Bolton Street, Blackburn.

The Wickes giveaway is open to schools and community groups in East Lancashire and entrants should write telling us why their project deserves the money.

The Grimewatch team wants to know at what stage the project is at and what the prize would be spent on. All schemes entered for the Wickes vouchers will also be entered in the Grimewatch competition so you could end up winning more money next spring.

Entries should be sent to Wickes/Grimewatch Competition, c/o Grimewatch Co-ordinator, Lancashire Evening Telegraph, Newspaper House, High Street, Blackburn, BB1 1HT, by Friday June 23.