CHARITIES, schools, and community projects across the county are being urged to apply for a life-changing grant of thousands of pounds from the Oxford Mail’s parent company.

Every year the Gannett Foundation gives away a total of about £20,000 to a range of worthy causes in Oxfordshire.

Applications for this year are open and organisations which have registered charity status are encouraged to apply now, to be in with a chance of receiving a grant of £5,000 or even £10,000.

SpecialEffect, based in Charlbury, West Oxfordshire, was one of the lucky few charities to be awarded a grant in recent years.

In 2012 the organisation, which helps people with disabilities enjoy a better quality of life through the use of video and computer games, applied for a Gannett grant.

Staff were amazed and overjoyed to be awarded £7,000.

Communications support worker at SpecialEffect Mark Saville said he remembered everyone punching their fists in the air when they heard the great news.

He said: “The grant enabled us to bring the magic of video games to many more people with physical disabilities.

“It was just fantastic news for us -– it’s certainly not an insignificant sum of money. It was a real boost for us to receive that grant.”

Mr Saville said SpecialEffect does not receive any statutory funding and relies on help, such as the Gannett grant.

In the past the grant has given other local groups a much-needed boost, including Mabel Prichard special school in Blackbird Leys, one of the charities chosen for the scheme last year.

Thanks to a grant of £4,500 the school now has a sensory garden, wheelchair swing and integrated roundabout for children to enjoy.

In the same year more than £5,000 was also donated to Oxford’s Sobell House Hospice, based at the Churchill Hospital, to buy wheelchairs for patients needing palliative and end-of-life care.

The deadline for applications this year is Friday, October 16.

Oxford Mail editor Simon O’Neill said: “We are once again delighted to hear from registered charities with projects that take a creative approach to fundamental issues such as education and neighbourhood improvements, economic development, youth development, local problem solving, assistance to disadvantaged or disabled people, environmental conservation and cultural enrichment.

“The grants focus on projects that bring lasting benefits to communities served by our newspapers and websites.”

HOW TO APPLY

* Applications of any size or ambition will be accepted, but typically the grants are awarded to substantial projects which require and merit awards of about £5,000 to £10,000. 

The Gannett Foundation will not consider applications for general appeals, salaries or running costs, political and religious organisations, state or privately run schools or hospitals — other than hospices. Applications must be made on an official form available from oxfordmail.co.uk/news/community/gannettfoundation

Correspondence will not be entered into. Entry forms must be completed in full and emailed to gannettapplications@nqo.com with attachments. Winners will be notified in December.