Cash raised from playing football is up for grabs for East End sports and neighbourhood groups.

Applications are now open for groups which could include luncheon clubs, housing advice or children’s activities for a share of the £12,000 raised by the Mayor’s Cup tournament held in April.

Tower Hamlets council is dishing out 24 grants of £500 for community projects.

One of the groups successful last year was Ocean Community Forum to run Saturday badminton teams at Whitechapel’s Mulberry School for the last six months.

Rebecca Brown from Tower Hamlets Women’s FC said: “It’s doubtful we could meet the costs to continue this season without the grant which allowed us to buy training equipment for our two teams that will last for several seasons.”

Applications for grants this year close on December 13 and are being shortlisted by January 10.