The Evening News is today offering community groups in Norwich the chance to get their hands on a slice of �50,000.

Your local newspaper has teamed up with Comic Relief and Norfolk Community Foundation for the second year to offer grants of �500 to �1,000 to small organisations in Norwich that are doing great work to help people.

With the help of Norfolk Community Foundation, Comic Relief and the Evening News, Red Nose Day Community Cash money will be distributed to those who need it most.

A wide range of organisations, from parent and toddler to youth and older people's groups, can apply for the cash, which will help improve the lives of the people they serve.

Red Nose Day is also coming to everyone in the city with the chance to do something funny for money on Friday, March 18, and raise money for Comic Relief.

Tim Williams, editor of the Evening News, said: 'This Comic Relief initiative is fantastic for the people of Norwich.

'More than 50 groups will benefit from grants of up to �1,000 and I am sure it will make a difference to people throughout our community. Every day we are working at the heart of Norwich life and our team is always meeting organisations for whom a grant like this would benefit the people they help. I would encourage as many people and organisations as possible to take advantage of this unique opportunity by applying for one of the grants. Comic Relief is a charity that is an inspiration to us all with a fabulous record of identifying and helping those in need across the country. The Evening News is delighted to help it here in Norwich.'

More than 70 groups throughout Norwich claimed grants last year with sports clubs, children's groups, history groups, community associations, churches, girl guides and theatre companies all benefiting.

And this year grants between �500 and �1,000 are available to groups run by local people, with an income of less than �50,000 in the last year, who fall in the Norwich City Council local authority area, and are working within a disadvantaged or deprived community. Organisations eligible for the Red Nose Day Community Cash scheme include parent and toddler groups, dad and lads groups, youth and older people's groups and lunch clubs.

The scheme will also fund projects like community festivals, groups that provide support for old and isolated people, running costs for self-help groups and improving facilities for established community groups.

Sue Wicks, Comic Relief's UK grants manager, said: 'We are delighted to be making a �50,000 Red Nose Day Community Cash fund available to small organisations in Norwich.

'From our long experience of making grants in communities all over the UK, we know that local groups are able to make a huge impact on their communities with a small amount of money.

'By making the Red Nose Day Community Cash fund available we hope to encourage some of the wonderful local organisations to apply for a grant and put it to work helping people of all ages feel more included in their community.' Comic Relief was launched on Christmas Day in 1985 to help address a devastating famine in Ethiopia and was followed by the first ever Red Nose Day event in 1988 which raised �15m.

Since then, 12 successive Red Nose Days have raised �500m, which has been used to support vulnerable people and communities in the UK and Africa.

Forms can be obtained by writing to Red Nose Day Community Cash, Evening News, Prospect House, in Rouen Road, Norwich, NR1 1RE

Application forms can also be picked up from the Evening News office at Prospect House, in Rouen Road, Norwich, or apply online by visiting tinyurl.com/rednosedaycash

The deadline for applications is on Friday, March 18, 2011.

Completed applications should be sent to Norfolk Community Foundation, St James Mill, Whitefriars, Norwich, NR3 1SH.