OLDER people in Worcester are being offered a cash incentive to become involved with community projects.

They can obtain single grants of up to £5,000 each or joint grants for up to three people of £10,000 from a new scheme being run by Help the Aged.

The Citizen Action Millennium Awards scheme recognises the huge resources and experience of older people and aims to encourage them to be active in their communities.

It is inviting grant applications from people aged 55 and over, who want to tackle, or are tackling, community issues such as campaigns to clean-up the streets, improve local green areas, help those who are housebound or even teach older people computer skills.

"I would like to encourage as many people as possible who are over 55 years in Worcester, to take advantage of this one-off opportunity to receive funding and expert support to tackle local issues," said Belinda Wadsworth, of Help the Aged in Worcester.

"If there are things you would like to improve, or if you are interested in becoming a mentor to others, I hope we can share your experiences and knowledge to bring local people together, and achieve some of your own personal goals."

The scheme has more than £1.5m of grants to offer. It is funded by the Millennium Commission and run in partnership with the Workers' Educational Association and the National Mentoring Network.

Applicants can apply for one of two types of award. The Active Citizen Award is for individuals keen to work at a grassroots level in the community and who would benefit from practical help and access to adult learning opportunities.

The Active Mentor Award is designed for people with experience in running community projects or have related skills they can pass on to others.

Anyone interested in applying for a Citizens' Action Millennium Award can telephone 0870 77703280 between 9.30am and 3.30pm on week days or e-mail cama@helptheaged.ogr.uk