Kingston Council (RBK) have announced a new communities grant, to launch in May.

RBK said that communities in the borough will be able to apply for funding to give a boost to community groups and voluntary organizations through the programme, the official title of which is the Neighbourhood Community Grants Programme.

Applications for the funding will begin in May and for the first time, can be submitted throughout the year, rather than groups needing to apply by a specific deadline, RBK said.

The money is aimed at supporting voluntary, community, not-for-profit and faith groups in Kingston to set up accessible activities or projects that benefit residents and make a difference to the local community.

On announcing the imminent start of the community funding scheme, RBK provided further details of how much money will be available per application and where the grants will apply:

RBK said: "The funding for the 2019/20 Community Grants Programme is broken down into these categories:

• Neighbourhood Community Grants of up to £3,000 per application for projects in each of the four neighbourhoods - Surbiton, South of the Borough, Kingston Town and Maldens and Coombe.

• Borough-wide Community Grants of up to £3,000 for projects that benefit residents and communities across the whole of the Royal Borough of Kingston.

• Community Infrastructure Levy, for projects that help residents as we grow as a borough This includes community gardens, children’s play spaces, tree planting, baby changing facilities, boroughwide bulb planting by residents, public artwork and the installation of defibrillators."

Councillor Ward Funding grants will also be made available for Neighbourhood Committees, RBK said.

RBK Leader, Councillor Liz Green, said that opening up new funds for communities projects was about empowering people throughout the borough.

Cllr Green said: "It’s a council priority to do more to empower our neighbourhoods. Our residents do tireless work to make the borough a better place and devoting more resources to our neighbourhoods is about ensuring they can keep doing just that.

"Kingston is dedicated to supporting all the hard work that goes on in our communities and this is just one way we support local causes.

"We are hopeful that by allowing grants to be available all year round, more people and groups will apply."