SMALL grants for works to reduce flooding are now being offered directly to affected communities in Somerset.

The Somerset Rivers Authority’s (SRA) new Community Flood Action Fund will help people with good local knowledge of flooding problems take the initiative and get things done.

Up to £200,000 a year is being made available for practical actions with obvious benefits that can be achieved quite quickly.

The Fund is aimed at not-for-profit organisations, such as town and parish councils, charities, social enterprises and community benefit societies.

Councillor Mike Stanton, chairman of Somerset Rivers Authority, said: “The SRA is about working together with different people and different places, to get more done on local priorities. As it says in the SRA’s Strategy, one quality that sets the SRA apart is its practical enthusiasm for ideas that come from communities for dealing with flooding problems.

“With this new Fund, we’re putting our money where our mouth is. We’re expecting it to be very popular, we know lots of places across Somerset are interested, so please take a look. Help us to help you get things done.”

Application packs for grants of between £3,000 and £20,000 are now available through the grants section of this Somerset Rivers Authority website.

The deadline for the first round of applications is February 25. Successful applicants will get funding from April. Three more funding rounds are due later in the year.

The grants section of the SRA website also includes details of some other possible sources of Somerset flood-related funding, such as grants for training and equipment.