COMMUNITY groups in Hartlepool last year benefited from more grants than anywhere else across Teesside.

Some 239 voluntary and community groups received Community Chest funding in Hartlepool, more than Middlesbrough, Stockton and Redcar and Cleveland put together.

Keith Bayley, manager of Hartlepool Voluntary Development Agency (HVDA), said: "It's a remarkable achievement to be able to make so many awards.

"Although other towns have a far larger funding pot, Hartlepool is making far more awards. What we do give goes a lot further and helps far more people than would be possible by making fewer, larger grants."

There are four grant pots residents can benefit from, all operating under the Hartlepool Community Network. The grants are administered by Hartlepool Voluntary Development Agency.

The Hartlepool Community Chest and Community Learning Chest contain £227,000 and £56,000 respectively, while the Hartlepool Health Inequalities and Improvement Fund and New Deal for Communities offer £40,000 each.

A further £40,000 is available from the Mens' Health (Life Expectancy) Fund. This grant awards projects that will help to extend the life expectancy of men living in the town's most disadvantaged wards.

To find out more about any of the grants available for your community or voluntary group, contact Alison Barnes or Christine Jones at HVDA, on (01429) 262641.