A CHILDREN'S hospice has urged others to apply for up to £10,000 through the Oxford Mail after its own windfall helped buy vital equipment.

There is less than one month left for charities to apply for grants of between £5,000 and £10,000 through the Oxford Mail's charitable arm: the Gannett Foundation.

Helen and Douglas House hospice in Magdalen Road is just one of many charities to benefit after receiving £9,000 towards new equipment and facilities.

Helen and Douglas House director of fundraising and market Hazel Bedford said: "As a charity we rely very heavily on the goodwill of people in the community to be able to pay for the service we provide for young hospice patients and their families.

"Applying for grants is one way we can gain additional income to support the range of care we offer.

"The Gannett Foundation grant bought a much needed new drugs trolley for the hospice and we would encourage others to apply for a grant to help with their work too."

The hospice was awarded £9,000 in 2013 after applying through the Oxford Mail for funding.

The cash boost enabled the hospice to buy vital equipment including the new drugs trolley to support their work caring for children with terminal illnesses.

The charity is one of many that have benefitted from a cash windfall through the Gannett Foundation including the Didcot, Abingdon and Wantage Talking Newspaper (DAWN) which received £6,848 in 2010.

The Gannet Foundation handed over £10,800 in 2012 for Oxford's Yellow Submarine which helps people with special needs and more than £6,500 towards the Blackbird Leys Adventure Playground.

The application process has been launched this year and local charities and good causes have one month left to apply.

Each year there is a theme and this time around it is The Needs of Rural Communities.

The foundation has widened its applications to include scout groups and brownies.

There is now less than a month for the county's good causes and charities to send in applications, to apply you must not have received a grant from the foundation in the past two years.

Funding will not cover salaries, professional fees or day-to-day running or maintenance costs, projects that do not bring benefits to our local communities, political or religious objectives or state or privately run schools - other than special needs.

The closing date for applications is Friday, October 14, and forms can be found at oxfordmail.co.uk/gannettfoundation