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The council has launched a new grant of £3,000 that is available to groups delivering activities in the three most disadvantaged areas of Banbury.

Cherwell District Council has introduced the Brighter Futures Banbury Community Fund, which has a £75,000 pot of grant funding for groups working in the Ruscote, Neithrop, and Grimsbury wards of town.

Groups in these areas of Banbury can apply for funding for new or existing projects.

The grants are funded by Oxfordshire County Council’s public health budget and will be open for grant applications until Friday September 15.

The district council has launched a new community grant for groups working in the most disadvantaged areas of Banbury.

Cllr Phil Chapman, portfolio holder for healthy and safe communities, said: "I am really excited to be rolling out this new funding stream to Banbury’s communities. The decision to do so has been informed by an in-depth community insight project undertaken by our partners at Community First Oxfordshire.

"The aim was to understand how we can better support the communities where, statistically, there is a higher prevalence of health inequalities. We are now building on the knowledge captured to identify projects that can, for example, encourage healthy habits or reduce social isolation."

The research included interviews and focus groups with residents in three of the areas with the highest levels of deprivation in Oxfordshire, according to official government measures.

Their reports had a number of recommendations for the sorts of projects that can best support the community, including the improvement of community spaces and support for events that bring people together for shared meals or cooking classes.

Guidance and an application form are available at www.cherwell.gov.uk/CommunityInsightFund

Community groups in Banbury could benefit from new £3,000 council grant