Charities across the county are being encouraged to apply for government funding that will allow them to export their knowledge and expertise across the globe.

Secretary of State for International Development, Penny Mordaunt MP, has written to MPs to inform them of the government's Small Charities Challenge Fund.

The fund will allow charities with an annual income of £250,000 or less to apply for grants to help the Department for International Development deliver its global goals.

From helping to provide prosthetic limbs to amputees in the Gambia to transforming the lives of carers in Bangladesh, the fund has committed £2.7million to 55 small charities so far.

Grants of up to £50,000 are available for projects that would take two years or less to implement.

And Gloucester's MP Richard Graham is inviting charities in his constituency and across Gloucestershire to put their names forward.

He said: "Is this an opportunity for SARA to help flood relief preparation in South Asia?

Could the Family Haven's experience in teaching young mothers cooking skills replicable in a different context in the Middle East?

"Might Charlie's be a model for a support group elsewhere or could The Friendship Café help set something up activities for a refugee camp in Jordan?

"Most will not want to be distracted from their core goals here. But for those Punchline readers involved with local charities, it's just worth thinking think about whether this is an opportunity."

The closing date for the current review of applications is on Thursday, March 28. More information, including an application form can be found at www.ukaiddirect.org/apply/sccf