A campaign to help three deserving charities fulfil their dreams has come to an end after nominations were shortlisted on Friday last week.
The Let's Do It Community Awards 2008 was launched by Barclays Bank with the Ealing Gazette in the summer to find a charity where a cash boost would make a real difference. Readers were asked to send in nominations explaining why their charity deserved an award and what it would do with the money.
The first prize is £1,000 and there are two runners-up prizes of £500 each. The calibre of the entries was high, but after careful consideration they were whittled down to five shortlisters, with the winners to be announced at an awards ceremony at Barclays Bank, Ealing Broadway, Ealing, on November 10.
The shortlisted entries, in no particular order, are: Ealing Soup Kitchen, Mattock Lane, Ealing, Alzheimer's Concern Ealing, Windmill Road, Ealing, Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation, Fulham, Ealing Log Cabin, Northfield Avenue, Ealing and Homestart Ealing, Cowings Mead, Northolt.
The judges were Jassi Rignall, assistant branch manager at Barclays Bank Ealing Broadway, Libby Raybould (cor) community relations manager, London and Southern, MP Steve Pound and Jane Harrison, Ealing Gazette community reporter.
Jassi said:"We have been very impressed with the quality of entries and it has been quite hard making a final decision. We are delighted to be involved in these community awards. We think it's very important to continue that involvement in the future."
Steve said:"It's really important that Barclays Bank and Ealing Gazette come together to achieve something for the wider community. In many ways the money is the seed corn which can then grow. It's a wonderful opportunity to give tangible help to these organisations which are often a lifeline for so many people."
This is the third year running that Barclays has been involved in the Let's Do It Community Awards. More than 500 staff members have also given up their time and raised funds for community groups.
