A CRIME-hit community project is to expand its work after being granted money by the charitable arm of the Telegraph & Argus.

Members of Thorpe Edge Community Project have expressed their delight at being selected to receive a £4,400 grant from the Gannett Foundation in the latest round of awards.

The Foundation is operated by the US company Gannett, the parent company of the T&A, and has announced donations of more than £140,000 to 40 different community organisations in the UK.

The grant itself will be used to develop its Roots and Fruits Community Garden Project, hoping to benefit at least 800 local people in its first year.

John Sheen, of the Thorpe Edge Community Project, which is based at The Rockwell Centre, said: "We are delighted to receive a grant from the Gannett Foundation that will help us to grow and prepare food in Rockwell Community Garden and Centre.

"The grant means a lot to us, it is recognition of the hard work of the centre staff and volunteers who support many vulnerable people from the area all year round.

"It is especially welcome following recent burglaries of the centre and has given everyone a much need boost on top of the donations that have come in from supporters of the centre."

The Thorpe Edge Community Project was the only recipient in the Bradford district this time and the money will be used to buy a polytunnel, equipment, seeds and a commercial fridge and freezer.

This will allow the group to grow fruit and vegetables in its community garden, which will in turn supply the Rockwell Centre community kitchen as it hosts regular community lunches for vulnerable older people in the area.

The application states that the project will be run by trained and experienced paid staff and volunteers who will be involved in the whole process 'from seeds to table'.

Local children from the centre's existing projects will be involved in the new scheme.

And the addition of the polytunnel will enable them to grow food all year round and continue their work even in inclement weather.

The good news comes after the centre, which offers a variety of activities, groups and services to help people improve their lifestyle, health and wellbeing, was broken into on New Year's Eve.

The roof was damaged and the office trashed in the raid, which left volunteers frustrated that they would need to spend money on repairs to the building, instead of on running their various groups.

In a post of social medial The Rockwell centre, hit out at the "worthless piece of scum" responsible calling them "nothing but a disgrace and embarrassment".

A number of local organisations applied for the grants, which are handed out each year to deserving candidates to help provide services in the district.

Chairman of the trustees at the Gannett Foundation, Simon Westrop, said: “If your application did not succeed this time, please don’t be discouraged.

“Bear in mind that most of the successful applications are not necessarily big projects or headline-grabbers, but rather smaller ones that meet a particular need and instantly improve daily life."

The next round of applications will be announced in the summer.