POORER areas of the North-East are being encouraged to apply for money from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Trationally, the region has not received as much funding as other parts of the country. Within the region, some areas get less than their neighbours.

Now the fund has set up a regional office in Newcastle and assembled a development team to help applications for projects in disadvantaged areas.

Officials have identified areas, including Chester-le-Street, Easington and Wear Valley in County Durham, Stockton, and parts of Newcastle, that have submitted few applications or are designated as deprived.

Since 1994, seven awards have been made in Easington - amounting to £14.19 per resident and 37 per cent below the national average. Wear Valley has received 11 awards - £7.86 per resident and 43.32 per cent less than average.

Fund officials are keen to promote the idea that heritage is not just stately homes and art galleries and want to help schemes that preserve the past of humbler communities.

The development team will help with applying for grants and encourage development of more applications for grants of £5,000 to £50,000.

"I don't know why we get fewer applications from these areas,'' said Heritage Lottery Fund regional manager Dr Keith Bartlett.

"Historically, the North-East does not apply for the funding that other regions do, although it is the most successful area when it does.

"We have reduced the application form by 37 pages and changed the requirement on grants up to £50,000 for match funding, from cash to payment in kind.

"We are saying to people 'you tell us what you think heritage is and we'll try to fund it'.''

The fund has made more than 450 awards to the region totalling £93m and has announced £1m for a regeneration scheme that will improve the townscape of Gateshead, following on from the town's quayside development.

For further details about the fund, call its regional office on 0191-255 7570.