THE government has awarded £2m to councils it says "deliver more for less" by working with local communities.

Communities minister Stephen Williams announced 24 successful bidders for Delivering Differently in Neighbourhoods funding after they set out "innovative approaches to transform services".

Each individual local authority will receive between £60,000 and £90,000.

Winners include an initiative supporting vulnerable people in rural Herefordshire by developing a number of local Wellbeing Hubs with local GPs.

Another successful bid includes a project working with survivors of domestic violence to help support users in North Somerset.

"The councils behind these projects are outlining plans to cleverly use resources and provide services that make a real difference to people's lives.

"Empowering local people to have a greater role in local services will not only help eliminate needless duplication and cut waste but it will ensure better services are delivered to people how they want them – at a local neighbourhood level."

Mr Williams said the government would work with all 24 authorities to understand the impact of these new approaches.

It would examine their costs and benefits and share effective models for service delivery at neighbourhood level.

The government says its Delivering Differently in Neighbourhoods initiative will complement the government's Our Place programme.

The Our Place programme works with neighbourhood groups seeking to redesign services in their area.