DO you know of a community project that could do with a cash boost? Then we want to hear about it.

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph has teamed up with British Gas to launch the Millennium Awards to support community activities across East Lancashire.

Over the next two months, we will be giving away £2,000 to deserving schemes. Payments of £250 will be made every fortnight for 12 weeks, with an extra £500 paid to the most deserving of the six winners.

These will be chosen by a panel of judges, including representatives of the Telegraph and British Gas.

Our first cash giveaway of £250 goes to Accrington Police to buy alarms for newsboys and girls in Accrington. It follows an incident in Great Harwood where a papergirl was abducted and assaulted while on her round.

The police are anxious to ensure that the risk of such an incident happening again is reduced.

PC Gary Crowe, of Accrington Police, said the alarms would be given to newsagents, who would give them out at the start of the paper round and take them back at the end.

"Doing this will also ensure that the newsagents would know immediately if anything has happened to their staff as they would be late returning," he said. Philip Wilcock, of British Gas, said: "At British Gas we have a long history of supporting projects which help local communities. "In this special partnership with the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, we are making a fund of £2,000 available to assist local community projects between now and the start of the new millennium.

"We know there are many local groups doing excellent work in the community, such as playgroups, residents' associations and people working to improve their local environment. If you belong to a group like this, we want to hear from you now - you could soon be receiving a cash grant to help your organisation with the work that it does."

Applications, including a brief description of the project, should be sent as soon as possible to British Gas/Lancashire Evening Telegraph Millennium Awards, Promotions Department, Lancashire Evening Telegraph, at either High Street, Blackburn; Keirby Walk, Burnley; Edgar Street, Accrington; Bridge Street, Darwen; or Martins News, Castle Street, Clitheroe.

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