Around £65,000 is available for community groups to help promote healthy lifestyles.

Voluntary and community groups are among those being encouraged to apply for a slice of the £65,000 being provided by the St Albans District Health and Wellbeing Partnership.

An estimated £20,000 has been ring-fenced for a scheme that will encourage people to be a healthy weight and increase the amount of exercise people do.

A similar sum will go towards a scheme that will improve mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Groups are being encouraged to apply to lead these projects.

Councillor Rosemary Farmer, Chair of the Partnership, said: “This is a substantial sum of money that is being put up by us together with the County Council.

“We want organisations involved in health prevention in the District to study the project briefs and consider applying.

“Health prevention is an increasingly important way of combating obesity, early onset diabetes, heart disease, many forms of cancer and other diseases.

“We are looking to support projects that include innovative and effective measures and are in line with our priorities such as increasing levels of physical exercise and supporting those with mental health issues.”

Applications for funding will need to be submitted by 1st July 2016.