GRANTS of £1,000 are up for grabs to give the area's waterways a facelift.

Community groups in Blackburn, Darwen and Hyndburn are being invited to bid for hand-outs to boost areas close to local canals, rivers and streams.

The Waterside Revival scheme, organised by the government-backed Mersey Basin Campaign and Warrington-based Bechtel Water Technology, has more than £30,000 to give away to various projects.

They are keen to back schemes which involve nature conservation, recreation and tourism, tackling pollution and neglect and improving access to waterways.

Geoff Wright, of Bechtel Water Technology, said: "We lead the field in the area of water and wastewater engineering, and are already working on behalf of North West Water to deliver numerous improvement scheme in the Mersey Basin.

"We are delighted to be able to contribute to local groups through our support for Waterside Revival."

If your group would like to bid for an grant, contact the Mersey Basin Trust on 0161 228 6924 for an application form.

There is no closing date for applications but following a grant offer, the project must be completed and the grant claimed within nine months.

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