VILLAGES in part of the North York Moors National Park are being encouraged to put forward ideas to take advantage of a new funding scheme.

The Yorkshire Rural Community Council has secured funding to create a small grants scheme in the Dales and Ebberston ward of Ryedale District Council, said development officer Angela Palliser.

"The main aim is to support community-led action in this target area of Ryedale by providing a grants scheme which can be used to fund a wide range of local projects" she said.

"This is an excellent boost for the rural communities in the Dales and Ebberston ward. The panel is made up of volunteers from the communities, so it means that local people are directly involved in the decision making."

Projects that can benefit include village enhancement schemes, community initiatives, marketing, start-up grants for groups, social enterprises, feasibility studies and innovation work.

Money has already been provided to buy a digital projector in Lockton and for an information point for Gillamoor and Rudland.

About £110,000 has been made available for the coming years after the scheme won support from the National Park Authority, regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, the European Union, and Ryedale District Council.

Villages expected to benefit include Allerston and Wilton, Cropton, Abberston, Yedingham, Lockton, Levisham, Newton-on-Rawcliffe, Stape, Appleton-le-Moors, Bransdale, Fadmoor, Farndale East and Farndale West, Gilla-moor, Hartoft, Hutton-le-Hole, Lastingham, Rosedale and Spaunton.

The fund is to be launched tomorrow in Hutton-le-Hole Village Hall at 6pm, when a presentation about the scheme will be given.