Cash grants for teens

Young people who want to make a difference to their environment in Staffordshire are being offered cash support.

A partnership of five of the country's leading not-for-profit organisations will provide £2 million funding and support for over 700 projects nationwide.

And they are looking for volunteers from the county to come forward and improve green spaces.

The two-year GreenPrints programme will offer money and practical expertise to enable 16 to 25-year-olds to make a real difference to the communities in which they live.

SITA Trust and V, the youth volunteering charity, have each pledged £1 million to fund the programme, with expertise from BTCV, The Wildlife Trusts and the BBC's Breathing Places campaign.

John Healey MP, Treasury Minister responsible for the Landfill Communities Fund who launched the programme, said: "I am very pleased to launch this innovative programme, as it will get more young people involved with volunteering and deliver real environmental benefits.

"I know the projects will make a great difference to many communities across the UK." The cash will be available to people aged between 16 and 25 who want to put something back into the community,

For more information visit the GreenPrints page at www.sitatrust.org.uk