People organising community projects can apply for a slice of £50,000 to fund their work.

West Oxfordshire District Council's Community Initiatives Fund (CIF) is allocating grants of up to £1,000 to help ventures that rely on volunteers to survive.

Inspiration for the fund was the sense of community spirit which shone through during Millennium celebrations in towns and villages in the district.

Vic Allison, finance director for the council, said: "Although this is a pilot project, we hope it will be a success and encourage local communities to thrive."

Schemes that could be helped include community transport initiatives, footpath or village pond clearance, restoration work on public buildings, such as churches, and neighbourhood anti-crime projects.

Villagers looking to set-up their own shop could also use grants to fund feasibility studies.

The initial driving force behind the fund was councillor Mary Neale.

She said: "I think the idea came partly out of the Millennium celebrations where there was a lot of goodwill with people prepared to give up their time.

"We want to reward that goodwill and see more of it. In many cases we can envisage that it may be a case of seed-funding schemes that need to clear the first hurdle before getting established."

Certain conditions will have to be met before cash will be handed out. The deadline for applications is September 28.

Awards have to be spent within six months and follow-up checks will be made to ensure the cash has been used appropriately. For more details call Mr Allison on 01993 770040.