Lord Mayor backs our cash giveaway

As the Leicester Mercury's campaign to hand out �50,000 continues, the city's Lord Mayor has given us his seal of approval.

In a letter to the paper, Councillor Colin Hall encouraged small charities and organisations to apply for a share of the Comic Relief cash.

Any charity, social enterprise or community group which is based in Leicester and has an annual income of less than �50,000 is eligible to apply.

Groups must have been operating for more than 12 months.

In his letter to readers, the Lord Mayor said: "I and Leicester City Council are delighted today to join the Mercury in backing the Red Nose Community Cash campaign.

"This support will be welcome to many organisations, which provide vital help for many of our most deprived residents.

"Many people in the city and county will have seen how grassroots Comic Relief can be.

"From the invaluable work that it has carried out over many years, both in Leicester and elsewhere, we know of its involvement in a number of exciting, year-round projects which deliver real and lasting change.

"Every one of these projects is crucial in raising awareness of important social issues and they ultimately work towards transforming the lives of disadvantaged people in the UK and across the world.

"The campaign is all about putting the money back into the community and about the community coming alive. It's really good to have money coming back into the area.

"I, and the council, will encourage groups in need within our communities to submit bids for consideration.

"Being strapped for cash is no laughing matter. So the aid from Comic Relief will be much appreciated.

"We're also grateful for the role the Leicester Mercury and other partners are playing in promoting their important work.

"We hope that groups will respond positively to this offer and play their part in ensuring another successful Red Nose Day on March 18."

We are aiming to give away sums of between �500 and �1,000 to dozens of causes.

The deadline is March 18 and groups are able to apply either by post or via the internet.

For more information about the Mercury's Red Nose Community Cash campaign, call 0116 222 2205 or visit:

www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/rednose

Are you organising an event to raise money for Comic Relief? Call the Mercury newsdesk on 0116 222 4241.

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