A funeral directors has given grants to ten good causes following the launch of the firm's first community fund.

The £20,000 John Blenkiron & Sons Community Fund opened earlier this year with the aim of supporting charities within a three-mile radius of its branches in Richmond, Barnard Castle and Catterick.

The successful applicants have now been awarded their grants following an application window in the spring.

These include Richmond Refugee Support Group, which is using the money for welcome packs for people arriving into the country, 1st Richmond Scout Group, which will be spending its grant on outdoor cooking equipment, and Richmondshire Dales Amateur Swimming Club, which will use it to support a disabled team with travel to compete at home and abroad.

Amongst the other recipients were The Witham in Barnard Castle and Hipswell Village Hall in Catterick.

A new cycle of applications is now open, with other causes being invited to apply.

Senior funeral firector Rebekah Taylor, who has been co-ordinating the fund, said: “Working with these charities has been absolutely amazing.

“I've always been passionate about supporting the community. We have a lot to offer, not only as a business but also as individuals.

Darlington and Stockton Times: The team from John Blenkiron & Sons Funeral Directors present the money to Hipswell Village Hall

'We hope that the community fund will enable us to forge lasting relationships where we can offer support and assistance long term.

“We’re not purely donating money, we are also showing these causes that we do care.”

Any eligible applicants who could benefit from funding are urged to get in touch before the latest application deadline on September 1.

“If you applied before and weren’t successful, don’t let it put you off for this cycle,” she said.

“We’re looking forward to hearing from all sorts of different organisations again.

“It’s been great to get to know more about charities we didn’t know about before we launched the fund.”

James Blenkiron, business principal for the funeral directors which his father set up in 1968, added: “It is really rewarding to know we are giving back to the community. I’m so proud we’ve been able to do this.”

Grants will be available to projects which align with one or more of the fund categories which are health, education, employment opportunities and poverty or social deprivation. Applicants must demonstrate they can improve the quality of life for local residents. Each applicant can ask for a grant between £300 and £1,500, with each entry judged by an impartial panel from John Blenkiron & Sons.

For details, see www.blenkirons.co.uk/community-fund.