ORGANISATIONS and community groups in Okehampton have been invited to apply for growing grants between £500 and £5,000 to create exciting, transformational wild flower sites in the area.

Grow Wild is a £10.5m nationwide initiative to inspire people and communities to come together to sow, grow and support UK native wild flowers, led by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and backed by the Big Lottery Fund. 

The Grow Wild community sites programme has more than half a million pounds available over the next three years for local groups and organisations throughout the UK who put forward the most exciting and inspirational ideas to give neglected and uncared for spaces a new lease of life for everyone to enjoy. 

Grow Wild is particularly interested in projects that involve young people and explore new and innovative ways of using wild flowers to revitalise their local area. 

Claire Harcup, programme manager at Grow Wild, said: 'We want to hear from community and volunteer groups, including youth groups, who would like Grow Wild to help them realise a vision of transforming an unloved area into a wildlife friendly space that everyone will love featuring UK native wild flowers.

'It could be anything from a garden that celebrates the area's history and heritage to a project that simply brings unused space back to life for the benefit of local people.'

To be eligible for funding, groups must be aiming to plant native wild flowers, native plants or trees with the community, starting and completing the project in either spring or autumn 2014.

Applications must be received by January 6, 2014. A panel of experts will then decide who will receive the funding, announcing the successful sites in February 2014.

To find out more about applying to become a Grow Wild community site, visit http://www.growwilduk.com">www.growwilduk.com