CRAVEN Council’s ward-based grant scheme is to continue for at least the next two years.

Members of the council’s policy committee unanimously agreed that the initiative should be maintained until 2023.

Under the scheme, each of the authority’s 30 members allocate £1,000 a year for good causes in their ward.

Councillor Patrick Mulligan, lead member for finance, said it was testament to the way the council was run and how it looked after its finances that it was able to allocate £30,000 per year towards the scheme.

Councillor Sue Metcalfe said that as a relatively new council member, she had found the grant project to be valuable.

She added: “It has done a lot of good, particularly in relation to the challenges connected with Covid.”

Council leader, Councillor Richard Foster, said members had been able to help all age groups and a variety of projects.