London's 'easy council' Barnet has set up a Big Society Innovation Bank and is inviting residents and not-for-profit community groups to bid for funding local projects.

A total of £600,000 has been set aside to found the Innovation Bank over the next three years with a deadline of Friday, July 29 set aside for the submission of bids for the first year's £200,000 allocation and sums of between £500 and £50,000 available to help turn bright ideas into reality.