SADLY, East Lancashire too often misses out on investment cash, both public and private, because a region like the North West is dominated by the bigger population centres of Manchester and Merseyside which seem to get the lion’s share.

Such metropolitan bias thankfully doesn’t apply to the Big Lottery Fund, which distributes 40% of the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery. The Fund chose this newspaper to be its partner in the region and the Lancashire Telegraph Community Cash Awards, launched today, are the result.

The £250,000 awards are open to community groups across East Lancashire which are invited to bid for grants of between £10,000 and £30,000 before July 21.

The aim is to encourage projects which will make a difference to local areas and Lancashire Telegraph readers will get the chance to vote for the most deserving applications each day for a fortnight.

Such opportunities don’t come along very often and we are proud that East Lancashire people have been selected to benefit.

But community groups won’t have a chance of getting the cash unless they go for it.

So the message is clear – start putting your applications together today.