A Charitable foundation set up by the Chairman of Dudley Taxi Association has been handing out money and Christmas cheer across the area to local good causes.

Two local charities have benefited from money given to them after The Saleem Foundation (TSF) launched a grant application scheme.

Set up by Shaz Saleem, a former ambassador to the Mayor of Dudley, the TSF was granted charitable status last year.

After dozens of applications the first grants awarded were to Brierley Hill-based Lunch on the Run and Kingswinford’s More Mascots Please community business.

Lunch on the Run support people with autism and learning difficulties and needed money to buy an IPad to help trainees with new technology and to improve skills.

Mascots help disabled, disadvantaged and terminally ill children and they needed money to deliver Santa and his elves ‘meet and greets.’

The foundation also gave £460 in Amazon Prime gifts to Dudley Care Leavers run by the council’s children service.

It took the total handed out in grants to more than £1,000 in the first round.

The second round of applications opens on January 11 and will close on March 14.

Applications can be requested via email saleemfoundation@hotmail.com or Facebook www.facebook.com/thesaleemfoundation.