Communities in Oxfordshire are being urged to apply for cash from a £30m fund to improve ties between the armed forces and the public.

The money will be available over the next four years for projects in areas which have signed a Community Cove- nant, pledging to support service personnel and their families.

Oxfordshire was the first county to sign a covenant, launching the agreement with a ceremony at County Hall in Oxford in June.

Only four other councils have set up similar schemes.

Jim Lewendon, the vice-president of the Oxfordshire branch of the Royal British Legion, said: “The fund sounds like a very good idea. We need to improve links between the forces and nearby communities.

“I would certainly encourage people to come up with ideas and apply for grants.”

Money for the scheme will come from the Ministry of Defence, which said people could apply for amounts ranging from £100 to £250,000 for one-off projects.

Ideas might include public exhibitions about military units in the county, adventure camps involving military personnel and young people, or outreach schemes to help veterans forge ties with the community.

The Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, Andrew Robathan, said: “The armed forces family already enjoys a good rapport with their civilian counterparts, and projects funded by the grant will build even closer ties.”

Applications for funding can be submitted by any part of the community, such as volunteer groups or schools.

Bids from the county will first be considered by the military-civilian partnership set up under the Oxfordshire covenant, with ideas they endorse going to an MoD panel for a final decision.

The deadline for the first round of grant bids is September 30. Visit mod.gov. uk and search for Community Covenant Grant Scheme.