LOCAL groups and charities which work to improve the lives of people in Oxfordshire can now apply for a new grant of £1,000.

Housebuilder Barratt Homes has launched the 'community fund' which has been set up in a bid to build stronger links with the community that it works in.

Each month the company have pledged to donate £1,000 to a worthy organisation in the county which specifically runs for the benefit of the locals.

Groups who want to apply for the cash need to say why it will be beneficial and how it will improve the quality of life for the people it helps.

Last year, a similar fund run by the housebuilders sister company donated more than £1m to good causes up and down the country.

Now the team at Oxfordshire's new fund said it hoped to donate the same.

Adrian Farr, the boss at Barratt Homes, which has sold more than 17,000 homes across the UK said: "As the country’s largest housebuilder we are committed to creating a positive legacy.

“We want to lead the industry not just in the quality of the homes and developments we build but also in our work with charities and good causes throughout the UK.”

Groups who want to apply for the one-off grant should email: communityfundwestmids@barratthomes.co.uk

They should give the details of the charity or organisation and explain how the donation will benefit them and improve the quality of lives in Oxfordshire.

The team are currently building on a site at Longford Park in Banbury.

More information at barratthomes.co.uk