The Sentinel newspaper in Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire have been given £250,000 of Big Lottery money to hand out as grants to local community projects.

Not-for-profit groups and projects, schools along with parish and town councils based in The Sentinel distribution area have until August to apply for a grant.

Then a panel of judges made up of someone from the Sentinel (step forward Martin Tideswell) someone from Big Lottery Fund, along with a local UK Community Foundation representative will draw up a shortlist of the best ideas from the entries. Readers will then be asked tcast their votes on which ideas & projects are the most deserving during a two week voting period in September.

The winning projects and ideas will be offered a grant of between £10,000 & £30,000.