Nottinghamshire’s future sporting stars and sports clubs are being invited to bid for funding to support their development.

Nottinghamshire County Council has opened two annual grant schemes – the Community Sports Fund and the Rising Stars Fund – which aim to increase participation and harness local talent.

The closing date for applications for both schemes is 22 July 2014. Further information and application forms are available from www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/sport-support or by calling 0115 9773464.

Last year, around 70 of the county’s brightest young sporting stars and 15 sports clubs were backed by grants from the schemes, totalling around £40,000.