THE Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is on the lookout for community projects that it can support through its sustainable development fund.

Each year the AONB helps a whole range of projects, large and small, to get off the ground, with the fund providing a helping hand to schemes that will benefit the area.

Now in its tenth year, fund supports projects which promote a more sustainable way of living in, working in and enjoying this nationally important landscape, as well as developing and testing new ideas for sustainability. in that decade, the scheme has helped 116 projects become reality.

Last year it helped Malvern Car Club expand its car-sharing scheme into Ledbury by helping to buy a vehicle.

And in 2015, it awarded Colwall Community Orchards a grant to build an on-site toilet, meaning the site can be used for educational visits.

It has also funded the Malvern Munch, which combines rambling with good local food, to improvements to Malvern's distinctive gas lamps.

It has helped to produce a literary trail, track adders, test dog mess collectors, plant trees and hedges and buy baby slings for the Up the Malverns walking group for new mothers.

Fund manager, David Armitage, is keen to make sure that as many people as possible know about this opportunity.

He said: "This is a fund which is aimed at people who care about the AONB. It's people and their ideas that make this area so wonderful to live in. This fund brings those ideas to fruition."

Community groups, organisations, individuals and businesses can apply for funding and grants are available from £300 to £5,000, to explore and develop practical projects which conserve and enhance the local environment.

Applicants do not need to live in the AONB, but they do need to show that the project will help to support and promote a living, working AONB landscape.

To find out more, visit malvernhillsaonb.org.uk or contact 01684 560616 or darmitage@worcestershire.gov.uk.