ALMOST 60 applications were received for crucial grants on offer from the Lancashire Telegraph.

The newspaper has teamed up with the Big Lottery Fund for the Lancashire Telegraph Community Cash Awards, which will see £250,000 handed out to successful applicants.

The deadline for the awards passed on Sunday with 59 community groups applying for a combined total of £1.3million.

Grants of £10,000 to £30,000 could be applied for by groups in the Lancashire Telegraph readership area.

Now, a panel of judges including senior staff members from the Big Lottery Fund and the Lancashire Telegraph, will sort through the applications to come up with a shortlist.

From September 9, the shortlisted applications will be published in the newspaper and readers will be able to vote on which groups get the money they want, until the £250,000 pot is gone.

The winners will be announced in the Lancashire Telegraph on September 30.

Lancashire Telegraph editor Kevin Young said he was delighted at the number of applications.

He said: “We have seen a marvellous response with a lot of worthwhile projects bidding for grants.

“It is great our readers will get the chance to select which of these wonderful initiatives gets a welcome financial boost.”

Big Lottery Fund England director Dharmendra Kanani said: “The high level of responses from the communities in East Lancashire demonstrates people-powered change in action.

“This gives a real boost locally to know that so many people want to support others.

“We have had a fantastic response from Lancashire Telegraph readers.

“The applications are being assessed as we speak. Good luck to everyone who has applied.”