Applications are flying in to the Where Else campaign office as residents rush to win grants to try out new activities.

The campaign, which is supporting Brighton and Hove's bid to become European Capital of Culture in 2008, has launched a scheme called Try It For The First Time.

Groups of people from the local area are invited to apply for up to £250 to pay for them to go on a trip, see a play or try out any kind of sporting or cultural activity they have not done before.

There are three deadlines for grant applications: April 29, July 1 and September 30.

Among the hopefuls is Joyce West, organiser of the over-50s Fun Sports group based at the King Alfred Leisure Centre, Hove. The drop-in group has an average of 24 members, male and female, aged between 54 and 82, who try out different activities every week.

Mrs West said: "I saw it in the paper and put up a list to see what the group would like to do. We are applying for money to do several things, including tap and maypole dancing.

"We are also thinking about applying to do canoeing and some of the ladies want to have a piano lesson because they have never had the chance before.

"I think Try It For The First Time is an excellent idea. I have heard some people grumbling, saying the money should be spent on other things, but I think we all need something to give us a bit of a lift from time to time."

Another organisation that has applied for a grant is Moulsecoomb After School Club. It has 40 members aged seven to 11 but is soon to take an another 30 or 40 children as it expands from two to five evenings a week.

Development worker Laura Kelly has applied for a grant to take about 40 of the youngsters for an evening of bowling at Brighton Marina.

She said: "A lot of parents on the estate don't have any transport so it is quite difficult for them to get to and from Moulsecoomb. It's something we haven't done with them before and I'm sure they will love it."

Pam Tunbridge, of the West Sussex Association for Disabled People's Shoreham and Southwick branch, organises social meetings and outings for about 25 disabled people.

She has applied for Try It For The First Time funding to take her group to the Sea Life Centre in Brighton.

She said: "We had already decided on a trip to Brighton as a lot of these people can't even get there unless we take them.

"They have never been to the aquarium so we decided to apply for the grant.

"I have lived here since 1969 and I have never been to the aquarium either in all that time.

"You just don't get round to these things and there is so much more to do these days. I think the grants are a great idea to motivate people."