Women - particularly those from the Asian community - are missing out on winning grants from a pot of cash set up to help fund organisations is Keighley, it has been claimed.

And the manager of a community group has hit out at the way the community chest grants are distributed to minority organisations.

Last year no financial help went to projects specifically addressing the needs of ethnic minority girls.

And out of the 97 groups that won cash very few were for women in general, Lynn Taylor, Keighley community area panel's assistant area coordinator has revealed.

She is urging women's organisations to come forward and seek help from the fund, which allocated £20,700 in 1989-99, plus an extra £2,667 from savings in other areas of the panel's budget.

"We want to reach more marginalised, disadvantaged and under represented groups. Women are under-represented, particularly among the Asian community," she said. "We would like to attract more women and girls in the interest of equality and fairness."

But Khadim Hussain, manager of Keighley's Sangat Centre, has criticised the way the funds are distributed and has called for a new mechanism for deciding grants.

"There is not enough consultation. There is no mechanism for consulting the grass roots,'' he said.

Mr Hussain said the Sangat Centre held a number of groups aimed at women, including a self-defence class.

"We have made several attempts to work in partnership with the area panel but there doesn't seem to be the same amount of enthusiasm from them,'' he said.

Lisa Brett, acting manager of the Keighley Asian Women and Children's Centre in Marlborough Street, Keighley, said she agreed with Mrs Taylor that Asian women were under-represented.

"There's definitely a gap for Asian girls who are very much isolated, particularly those who are single parents," she said.

Councillor Irene Ellison-Wood, area panel chairman, said: "All applications are judged on their merit, according to the criteria, which are clearly printed on the application form. Projects are only rejected where the projects fails to meet the criteria."

lThe maximum Community Chest grant is £500, but the majority are between £150 and £300.

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