Progress Housing Group in Lancashire has made a £1.5 million fund available to communities in South Ribble and Fylde.
The community investment fund gives tenants and community groups the opportunity to put forwards their ideas for improving the areas they live in.
A customer panel, made up of tenants, evaluates interested parties’ submissions on their long-term benefits for a whole community and decides which ideas will get the funding.
Jacqui De-Rose, Progress’s group chief executive, said: “As a local housing provider, we’ve always invested in improving homes and communities.
Our Community Investment Fund helps us support others to contribute to creating better places to live.
“We want to help residents feel proud of their communities and are always looking for new ways to involve people in building happier and stronger neighbourhoods.
“We’re keen to make sure all the projects we support will make a difference to the wider community and make the biggest impact. This is an important factor in deciding which ideas we will fund.”
The fund was launched in 2009 when Lytham-based New Fylde Housing joined the housing group.
So far it has awarded almost £500,000 to community groups and projects, benefitting over 1,000 residents across South Ribble, Chorley, Preston and the Fylde Coast.