VOLUNTEERS providing a lifeline to residents battling everyday challenges are hoping for a Red Nose Day cash boost.

Through the Oxford Mail, charities and organisations across the county can apply for Comic Relief grants between £500 and £1,000 before Thursday, March 10.

And among the first to make their pitch is the Berinsfield Information and Volunteer Centre, which has been helping villagers for 35 years.

Project manager Su Buckingham said: “We do all sorts of things that the Citizen’s Advice Bureau does, and a little bit more.

“We do everything from dealing with council tax, debt, filling in forms, and issues with benefits.

“It can be as simple as reading letters for people who cannot read, or writing letters for those who cannot write. A typical day can see anything from lost property to huge debt problems.”

Staffed by a core group of 12 volunteers, another 60 help by raising money, or running the craft group, coffee mornings or volunteer driver scheme.

A newsletter is delivered to more than 1,200 homes in the village.

Now the centre wants to expand its reach to help more people in rural Oxfordshire through a new Good Neighbour Scheme.

It has applied for a £1,000 Red Nose Day Community Cash grant to help set up the £2,500 project.

Ms Buckingham said: “We have the centre in Berinsfield, but we already help people from further afield.

“We need the laptops, mobile phones and so forth to be able to help people who find it difficult to get into the village.”

“We are happy to go anywhere where there is a need.”

She added: “Some people have been coming here since day one, 35 years ago, or we see different generations of the same family coming to us.

“Many do not have anywhere else to go, or cannot afford to travel to get advice elsewhere. They would be lost without us.”

l For information on how to apply for the grants, see www.oxfordmail.co.uk/li/red_nose or call 01865 798666. The closing date for applicants is Thursday, March 10. We also want to know about your Red Nose Day events, both beforehand and afterwards, so upload stories and pictures at www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/yournews.

WHO CAN APPLY FOR RED NOSE CASH

Groups eligible need to: * Be working in a disadvantaged or deprived area in Oxfordshire * Be small local groups with an income of less than £50,000 (in the last year) run by local people The types of activities which could be funded: * Parent and toddler groups * Dads and lads groups * Equipment and material for youth groups or older people’s groups * Community festivals * Cross-generational work * Befriending for older isolated people * Lunch clubs * Running costs for self-help groups * Committee and volunteer/staff training * Improving facilities for established groups.

Grants will not be awarded to: individuals, statutory organisations, including PCTs and schools, groups that are not constituted, Grants will not be awarded for the following purposes: To fund trips abroad, to fund buses, minibuses or other community transport schemes (not including transport costs forming part of a project), to fund building costs, including access adaptations to buildings