Bids totalling more than £200,000 were received in round two of a community grants initiative organised by Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Christopher Salmon.

The Commissioner’s Fund – with a total allocation of around £80,000 - attracted bids of up to £5,000 from more than 50 applicants. They came from Carmarthenshire (15 applications), Ceredigion (12), Pembrokeshire (six), and Powys (18).

The community initiatives which succeed in securing grants will be announced next month. Mr Salmon praised the Dyfed-Powys officers and staff who nominated all initiatives.

He said: “The response from the force’s officers and staff was incredible. It’s a shame that some good ideas will miss out – unfortunately we have limited funds; they may be successful in round three which we plan to launch towards the middle of this year.

“In the meantime, I’m delighted that around £80,000 will be shared out across the region to help improve the lives of the people in our communities.”

The Commissioner’s Fund offers grants for charities, voluntary organisations, community groups, police officers and staff to develop ideas that have a positive impact on the area they serve.

The projects, nominated in November and December by frontline police officers and Dyfed-Powys Police staff, are then assessed by senior officers who make the final decisions. The successful applications will reflect - in some way - Mr Salmon’s 2013-18 Police and Crime Plan for Dyfed-Powys.

They could, for example, educate, protect or support vulnerable groups, or aim to change the behaviour of potential or persistent offenders.

The scheme is funded by the proceeds of crime awarded to the police and from the sale of unclaimed found property. It aims to reduce demand for policing services by making excellent use of money and by helping to cut crime.

Last summer, round one of the Commissioner’s Fund saw around £84,000 shared by 24 community initiatives.