COMMUNITY projects in Wrexham are being invited to apply for a share of more than half a million pounds in grant funding from a medical centre property developer.

Health schemes in the area are being encouraged to apply to the Assura Community Fund, which has £550,000 worth of grants available.

The programme supports health and wellbeing projects supporting people living within a 15-mile radius of Assura’s 574 primary care buildings across the UK, including Overton Medical Centre.

Jonathan Murphy, CEO of Assura, said: “The Assura Community Fund has been a long time in the planning for launch this year but with the impact of coronavirus, we know there’s now an even more important role for it to play.

"The roots of the fund’s work are very firmly in the relationship between local charity projects, primary care and social prescribing, and those areas will be vital in helping our communities recover in the months and years to come.”

Grants of up to £5,000 are available for activities targeted at improving mental and emotional health and wellbeing, which can include gaining support for life challenges and providing increased activities and opportunities to learn new skills, to enable improved self-confidence, self-esteem and a strong sense of belonging. Cheshire Community Foundation is managing the fund for Assura.

Cheshire Community Foundation CEO, Zoe Sheppard, said: “We are delighted to be working with Assura to manage the Assura Community Fund. This is an incredibly generous commitment from Assura, at a time when it has never been more important to invest in our local communities.”

The current deadline for applications for the first round of grants is September 14 and more grants will be available within the next few years.

Projects can expect to hear the result of their application in mid November.

To apply and read the full criteria, visit www.assuraplc.com/acf.