IT’s the £50,000 Daily Echo-backed cash giveaway that could help thousands of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight’s residents in most need.

Among the vital charity projects that could apply for a share of our huge cash giveaway are the region’s food banks.

Last year more than 12,000 people used food banks across the south coast and they are one of the many types of vital charity projects that could claim one of the £500 to £1,000 grants that we have on offer through Sport Relief’s Community Cash link-up.

One of those food banks, on the Isle of Wight, received a £4,000 grant through a Sport Relief project last year.

Without that money they would have struggled to continue feeding more than 700 people per month on the island. ‘Huge difference’ Food bank manager Hannah King said: “I would recommend any project to apply for a grant, like the ones the Daily Echo will be giving out, because it will make a huge difference.

“I was over the moon to get the grant. It gave us a vital source of funding that meant we could afford to continue running the operations we have here.

“It’s very rare we get any funding but this enabled us to go ahead and make big strides forward.”

Food banks operate alongside schools, churches, businesses and individuals who donate non-perishable, in-date food.

They also collect through supermarket collections, where food is donated by shoppers keen to help hungry people.

The food is then distributed by volunteers to people who have been referred to the food bank through care professionals.

As reported, we will be handing out grants from money raised at the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Games, on March 23, to charities that support people at a disadvantage in the region like the food banks.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation, who will help distribute the money, will prioritise small, locally based groups or organisations working in deprived areas of society and have helped their local community, addressing their needs.

How to apply:

There is just one week left to claim your share of the money on the HIWCF website hantscf.org.uk/grants/.

Alternatively, if you wish to raise cash for local charities in Hampshire there are nine different runs and swims you can get involved in as a part of Sport Relief in March. To find out more about that, visit sportrelief.com.

Sport Relief Community Cash grants of £500 - £1,000 are available to organisations that are doing great work to help local people in the community. Apply for a grant at hantscf.org.uk.