TEN residents in the Coal Clough area of Burnley have started a partnership which they hope will grow in more ways than one.

CHAMPS (Chicken Hill Allotments Members' Partnership) aims to manage five allotments and develop 10 more by involving other residents and a local school.

Burnley Council's general purposes committee will tomorrow be asked to agree to a £500 grant from the challenge fund community chest.

The money was originally granted to Coal Clough United Front for a major community event which was postponed because of bad weather.

The allotments project is backed by the South West Burnley Community Development Trust.

The committee is also recommended to grant £600 to the Al Badr Cricket Club in Stoneyholme and Daneshouse towards cricket equipment.

The challenge fund community chest has £8,000 available for grants this year to increase opportunities for local people to become involved in voluntary work.

The committee is also recommended to approve grants of £200 to Padiham Sports Council towards the celebration of 50 years sport at the Arbories and to Barden Senior Citizens' group for social activities.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.