A charity which teaches disabled life skills is urging other group to apply for Sport Relief Community Cash this year, after reaping the benefits last time around.

Stepping Stones was given £750 from the fund, which it spent on its gardening skills group Green Fingers.

The equipment purchased was not spades or trowels, but a digital camera and an iPad, so that members of the group could document their progress, report back to other students in the group, and learn important IT skills.

Project manager Viv Lee said: 'It has allowed us to bring the Green Fingers project back to the centre from the allotment.

'The artwork and cooking projects we do are there for everyone to see. In the summer the gardening group brings back armfuls of veg, but the rest of the rest of year it's not so obvious what they've been doing.'

Applications for this year's fund are now open, with groups from across the city urged to bid for a grant of up to £1,000 from Sport Relief to support their good work.

Miss Lee said without the cash the group would not have been able to afford the camera and iPad, which have benefited all 18 students at Stepping Stones.

'They are used more broadly than just on the allotment, and they are a good way to get people to interact with each other,' she added.

She urged other groups to get their applications in for this year's Sport Relief Community Cash fund.

'A lot of charities might be going for big amounts but for us, the smaller amounts add up. They let us run our little projects,' she said.

'Without it, we wouldn't have bought the iPad, but it also wouldn't have opened up the Green Fingers project for the others to take part in.'

Stepping Stones is based in Magdalen Road and set up Green Fingers in autumn 2006.

It runs two allotments in north Norwich, where students grow vegetables, fruit and flowers.

The produce grown on the allotment is brought back to the centre to be eaten by students and used in cooking skills classes.

Last year, Stepping Stones was one of 55 city groups which shared £50,000 of Comic Relief Community Cash last year, and applications are now open for this year's fund.

Grants are available for groups working in disadvantaged areas of Norwich, and groups have until March 4 to apply.

Start your application by going to www.eveningnews24.co.uk or www.norfolkfoundation.com/Community-Cash.htm, or call 01603 623958 for details.