LIVERPOOL's Lib Dem City Council is inviting bids for up to £4 million in grants for voluntary and community groups. 

The three year fund will run from April 2008 through to April 2011 and will see up to £4.2 million given each year to organisations under five themes:

Community legal advice services
Support for victims of domestic violence
Non-housing support for single homeless people
Stronger communities
Strengthening community and voluntary organisations

Around 80 organisations have received money under the existing three year scheme, which was launched in 2005 after the council carried out a thorough review to incorporate government best practice. In 2006/7, organisations which were funded through the programme:

Gave 4000 vulnerable adults and disabled people days out
Recovered £4.3 million of welfare benefit arrears for local people
Provided 36,000 meals for elderly, vulnerable people
Helped recruit 700 volunteers 

Lib Dem Councillor Flo Clucas, chair of the voluntary sector panel, said: "Liverpool is one of the most generous cities in the country when it comes to funding the voluntary sector because we recognise the valuable role it plays in regenerating the local community.

"We work hard to make sure that every single penny is spent wisely, and the information provided by the organisations that we have funded over the last three years demonstrates quite clearly that the existing programme has been an outstanding success.

"I am proud that we fund so many voluntary groups and I would urge organisations who think they may qualify for funding to come forward. 

"Unfortunately, we don't have a bottomless pit of money but I can assure people that every single application will be carefully scrutinised based upon its merits and everyone given the chance to put their case." 

The Voluntary and Community Groups scheme is just one of several funding schemes run by the city council. Others include:

£300,000 made available through the community chest scheme for small grass roots community projects. 
£440,000 given to cultural organisations to run small scale "Creative Communities" projects linked to Capital of Culture. 
£2.7 million in grants to youth organisations for projects which engage children and teenagers. 

In total, the city council gives £7.6 million to voluntary, cultural and educational organisations - believed to be one of the largest grant programmes of any local authority in the UK.

Full guidance and an application pack are available from www.liverpool.gov.uk and clicking on the Community Grants link in the A-Z index. More information is also available by calling 0151 225 2316/2541. Briefing sessions will be held to give support and advice to groups who are applying. 

The closing date for applications is 15th October 2007.