MANY organisations in the south west probably do not realise there are cash grants waiting for them through a new organisation set up to distribute funds to voluntary and community groups in the region.

The new Government backed South West Foundation is chaired by Pewsey parish councillor Anne Hayhoe. She said it has £800,000 to distribute each year.

"This money is for the rural parts of the south west, those areas which are most disadvantaged and most deprived.

"Organisations can apply for grants of up to £1,000 but many of them are probably not aware the South West Foundation exists," she said.

The money is available, she said, for a variety of schemes including community centres, transport schemes and talking newspapers or to groups dealing with any kind of discrimination.

The South West Foundation is a grant-giving body that was set up to support voluntary and community organisations in the south west counties including Wiltshire, and it operates from an old railway station in Bristol.

The foundation hopes that at least one in four of the groups it supports will not have received grant aid from any source previously. It will not consider applications from sports or arts groups unless they fall into the priority groups:

Minority groups including ethnic or female support groups.

Frail older people.

People who are unemployed or on low income.

Carers.

Young people who are disadvantaged in any way.

People threatened with domestic violence.

More information from the South West Foundation, The Old Railway Station, Sea Mills Lane, Stoke Bishop, Bristol BS9 1DX, (0117) 968 0111 or info@southwestfoundation.org.uk