A £1 million pot of cash is available for projects to improve people’s lives.

The money has been given to City of York Council from the Government and the local authority says it is essentially a reward for hitting a range of targets over the last three years.

Bids are now being invited from other council departments and partner agencies which will “deliver results against Local Area Agreement 2 indicators”. These could include reducing the number of children who are living in poverty in the area to cutting the number of people killed or injured on the region’s roads.

Existing projects have led to an increase in the number of people satisfied with the cleanliness of the streets and a cut in the number of burglaries throughout the city.

A City of York Council spokeswoman said: “We’re delighted that the council has received this funding in recognition of its achievements.

“The funding will be used to support the targets of York’s Local Area Agreement, which was launched last year by Without Walls – York’s local strategic partnership.

“Capital and revenue grants of up to £50,000 will be available to both statutory and community organisations to deliver service improvements that directly benefit the residents of York.”

Bids have to be in by January 30 with each submission being evaluated next month. The successful bids will be decided upon in April.

Possible projects could include publicity campaigns, construction schemes or even the creation of jobs to oversee a particular cause.

Local Area Agreement 2 projects that are currently on-target include a reduction in substance misuse by young people and a reduction in the amount of landfill waste created per household.

Those which are missing their target include trying to reduce the number of 16 to 18-year-olds who are not in employment, training or education and trying to cut the number of people living in temporary accommodation.