GOOD causes in Ryedale are being offered a chance to bid for cash from the Gazette & Herald's parent company.

Grants are being offered by the Gannett Foundation, which is the charitable arm of Gannett Co Inc, the parent company of Newsquest Media Group, one of the UK’s largest publishers and owner of the Gazette.

Last year Ryedale Talking Magazine was given £800 towards essential equipment. Set up 30 years ago, the group of volunteers give up their time each month to record an 80-minute talking magazine, which is transferred to CDs and sent to people who are unable to read for themselves.

Editor-in-chief Peter Rickard said they had been delighted to receive the funding and hoped to extend their coverage to Scarborough and district and double listenership over the next two years.

The Gannett Foundation provides funding to registered charities in the areas where Gannett operates local newspapers and websites.

It supports those registered charities with projects which take a creative approach to fundamental issues such as neighbourhood improvements, local problem-solving, economic development, youth enterprise, assistance to disadvantaged or disabled people, care of the elderly, environmental conservation, and educational or cultural enrichment.

The Foundation values projects that bring lasting benefits to communities served by our local newspapers and websites. While preference may be given to ideas which create a durable legacy for the community, we will consider single events or projects of limited duration that otherwise meet our criteria.

We entertain applications of any size or ambition. Typically grants are modest sums for practical projects, but we frequently award sums of £10,000 or more to larger projects which deserve our backing.

We are able to join with other contributors to support elements of larger projects, though we prefer to be in a position of making a donation which will fund a project entirely or which constitutes the final instalment to complete a project.

Decisions about funding will be made by the trustees based on the evidence submitted.

The Foundation will favour projects that demonstrate good planning, oversight and financial responsibility. As a prerequisite, the submission of copies of the charity’s most recent financial accounts are required.

In addition, any supporting materials and further details concerning the overall aims of the charity should be included with each submission.

Each nomination will be judged on its own merits at the absolute discretion of the trustees, whose decision is final.

Applications must be submitted on the approved application form, which can be downloaded at www.gazetteherald.co.uk/gannett/

Any applications which do not meet our criteria or which do not follow our rules and procedures will be rejected.

The completed form and supporting document should be sent electronically via email to paula.homer@nqyne.co.uk Submissions on paper are not encouraged, but if unavoidable, they must be sent to Paula Homer, Gazette & Herald, 84-86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN.

In every case, applications must arrive by 5pm on Friday, October 16, 2015.