AN appeal has been made for grant applications for rural projects that will create jobs and boost the economy.

Fieldfare is a not-for-profit group that brings together people from rural businesses, farming and rural communities with the aims of supporting economic growth and improving quality of life.

The group was established in 2007 to deliver rural development and operates under the principles of the LEADER approach to enable people to “support local projects through local action”.

Fieldfare works in partnership with local authorities, government agencies and residents to identify and secure funding and provide support for enterprises and community initiatives.

Grants will be made available as part of the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs’ Rural Development Programme for England and LEADER, which is the method of delivering funding to projects through local action groups, ensuring that individuals with local knowledge are involved in key decisions about how funds are spent.

Farmers, foresters, growers, small businesses and rural communities can now bid for a share of a £1.6m fund to be shared across East Hampshire, Havant, Eastleigh, and Winchester.

Money could be available to support projects which create jobs, increase farm or forestry productivity and efficiency, develop new markets for local food and drink, increase visitor spend in the area, or provide an essential rural service.

For more details, visit fieldfareleader.org.uk/events.