ALMOST half a million pounds is being given to the community for cultural activities in the latest round of grants from the Liverpool Culture Company.

The money is split into two main programmes: Creative Communities which are self-contained projects (£240,000 available) and Innovation and Development (£200,000 available) which is for strengthening the infrastructure of Liverpool's cultural organisations.

The Creative Communities programme has three themes.  They are:

Roots - To support the creative celebration of Liverpool's diverse heritage, 800th birthday and to explore the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the British Slave Trade 
World in One City - To celebrate our city's rich diversity by exploring the hopes, aspirations and dreams of the people who are Liverpool 
Sporting Chance - To support the establishment and development of community sports 

Liverpool's Lib Dem Council Leader, Warren Bradley, said: "We are delighted to announce our latest round of grants, distributed by the Liverpool Culture Company.  There have been so many great cultural projects to come from the neighbourhoods of Liverpool, I look forward to many more."

It's easy to apply.  Just download an application form from www.liverpool08.com or ring 0151 225 2627 or 0151 225 2541.  The Community Resources Unit (CRU) is administering the application process for the Liverpool Culture Company. They will have a helpline open until the closing date for applications (4pm on Monday 18 December 2006) and the number is 0151 225 2627 or 0151 225 2541.  

A panel of people with expertise from different fields will put the projects through a rigorous process to decide on the grants, which will be announced in spring next year.  Issues to consider will be geographical spread across the city, target audiences/participants, artistic genre and access to culture for diverse groups. 

There are some exemptions as to who can apply for the grants and what they can be used for, please see the application form guidance for more details.  There will be a series of workshops and one-to-one surgeries to help community groups and individuals fill in the application form correctly, running from 29th November to 15th December.  Please visit www.liverpool08.com for more details, call 0151 233 5699 or email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it