ORGANISATIONS and charities are being invited to bid for a slice of a £25,000 fund put aside by Gascoigne Halman.

The Knutsford and Holmes Chapel-based estate agent has set up the ‘£25k Community Challenge’ to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary.

John Halman, managing director of Gascoigne Halman, said the company wanted to mark the milestone in a meaningful way.

He said: “Over the past eight years we have raised over £66,000 for a number of charities and it has become part of what we do as a business. Each year we focused on a different charity.

“However, to celebrate working in the area with some many local people for 25 years, we decided to take a different approach.

“We wanted to help and support a large number of organisations and, in particular, we wanted to help the smaller groups working at grass roots level. And so the idea of the Gascoigne Halman £25 Community Challenge was born.

“We envisage making probably around 10 donations but that is in no way fixed; it’s up to organisations, charities and groups to tell us what they need in terms of funding, why they want it and who will benefit.

“It’s possible that we end up giving 25 smaller donations – it’s up to the public now.”

Applications for the funding can be made from February 16 up to July 17.

The company will announce a shortlist in September and those applicants will be invited to make a short presentation to the judging panel in November. The successful candidates will be announced in later that month.

“We are really excited about hearing from local groups,” added John. “We are putting together a judging panel of prominent local people who will work with us to make decisions who is shortlisted and where the money eventually goes.

“I would urge local groups, no matter how large or small, to get in touch.”

Application forms can be found in any Gascoigne Halman office or on their website; gascoignehalman.co.uk.