A CHARITY awarded thousands of pounds through a scheme launched by the Oxford Mail’s parent company is encouraging other organisations to apply as soon as possible so they can benefit too.

Every year the Gannett Foundation, the official charity of this newspaper’s parent company Gannett, gives away a total of about £20,000 to a range of worthy causes in the county.

Applications for this year are now open and organisations with registered charity status are in with a chance of receiving a grant of £5,000, £10,000, or more towards their project.

A member of Oxfordshire Crossroads, a charity that provides care for adults and children, has spoken out urging charities to go for the scheme, after it won a substantial sum in 2009.

Development manager at the charity Shaun Beckham, 36, said: “It’s been great for us, it’s been super, it’s been excellent.

“It’s meant freedom for so many people. I would say absolutely do it, to those charities thinking about it. If it can benefit people in need then absolutely apply.”

Oxfordshire Crossroads, based in Harberton Mead in Headington, has been running since 1978 and bought a brand new specially-adapted van with wheelchair access with their grant of £25,300 – the biggest ever handed out by the foundation.

Chief executive of the charity Mary Rainford said: “We never expected to get the grant and we were blown away.

“We use the van all the time to take people on days out or on holidays to Butlins or Center Parcs. We have 90 staff working across Oxfordshire and we help about 1,000 people every year.”

Mr Beckham added he was thinking about applying for the grant again this year.

He said: “We use the van so much that we want another. We use it daily. It’s a real success for us.

“We were overwhelmed when we first heard we had won the grant. Our van then was falling apart. It was on its last legs.”

In the same year, Banbury Young Homeless Project was also given a grant by the Gannett Foundation for £3,140 for its five-a-side football team, which started playing in a local league.

The deadline for applications to be submitted for this year’s Gannett grant 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.