CHARITY projects across Oxfordshire are being urged one last time to grab their chance to get thousands of pounds for their good causes.

The Oxford Mail’s parent company’s Gannett Foundation is looking to help charities with grants of up to £50,000.

The foundation hand out £250,000 to good causes every six months in the UK – and lots of Oxfordshire charities have already received money.

They include the Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre at Milton Park, near Didcot, which received £2,632 for a new automatic door last year.

Centre manager Sue Doran said although it might not sound much, the door had made a big difference to the centre.

She said: “It’s not just a new door, it was an automatic door which is very important to the type of people we care for.

“There are sensors on the outside and a glass panel so we can see if anyone is having trouble outside.

“Basically the centre is just more disabled friendly now.”

Mrs Doran said grants like this were vital to the entirely self-funded centre, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year.

She and six volunteers care for more than 50 people around the area who suffer from Multiple Sclerosis. The centre is open five days a week.

Mrs Doran said: “I saw an advert for the grant in the paper and thought I’d apply, so we were shocked to win.

“We rely on grants like these to raise as much money as we can.”

The centre was one of three charities which received money from the Gannett Foundation in May 2009.

Mental health organisation Restore, in Didcot, received £15,000 towards a new minibus and Age UK received £3,800 to create new rooms for older people to talk to staff in confidence at its centre in White Lion Walk, Banbury.

Other organisations that have been helped include Banbury Young Homelessness Project, which was given a £3,140 grant for its five-a-side football team, and Oxfordshire Crossroads, which received £25,300 for a new van.

The deadline for returning fully completed application forms, is Friday, September 10.

Oxford Mail editor Simon O’Neill said: “Oxfordshire charities have received a lot of useful cash from this in the past few years.

“We would love for that to happen again, so we urge any good causes to fill in the form and apply for the money.”

Gannett is looking for applications which take a creative approach to community issues and benefit a large number of people.

Schemes should have a lasting effect, or help people with special needs, or involve sport, the environment, conservation or local history.