CHARITIES and groups across the county are vying for the public’s vote to help win £3,000.

As part of its rebranding, Lloyds Bank has given a pot of cash to its branches to be split between local charities.

The bank said it would help more than 1,300 local causes in town and villages across the country.

Each branch has shortlisted four organisations – two will receive £3,000 and two will get £300.

Bicester and Kidlington Lloyds Bank branches jointly have £6,600 to be shared between Homestart, Girl Guiding Kidlington and Oxfordshire Prostate Cancer Support Group.

People can vote in Lloyds branches or online at http://lloydsbank.com/communityfund

Bicester Foodbank is among the good causes hoping for the public’s vote to win £3,000.

The foodbank founder Janet Ray urged people to vote.

She said: “Bicester Foodbank gives food to people in crisis need. We open two days a week at the Methodist Church and the number of people using us has increased considerably this year.

“If we were awarded the £3,000 we hope to apply for a unit in the town where we can open five days a week and also provide hot food for the homeless people in Bicester, and give basic cookery lessons to the younger generation.”

She said it would enable the charity “to approach letting agencies in the town and hopefully get the unit we have been working towards for the last few years, and make us more available to the people who need us and also let them know that we are in Bicester to help them”.

Voting closes on November 1.

  • The other Oxfordshire organisations vying for cash are The Isis Academy; Emmaus Oxford; Nasio Trust; The Marlborough/Omerod School, Woodstock; Ladygrove Park Primary School, Didcot; Bridewell Organic Gardens, Witney; Bampton Youth Club; Enstone Primary School; The Sunshine Centre, Banbury; Oxfordshire Sands, Let’s Play Project, Banbury; Dogs For the Disabled, Banbury; and Fritwell Village Hall