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. 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, in 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, 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."

Mr Pound 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 in a row that Barclays has been involved in the Let's Do It Community Awards.

More than 500 bank staff have also given up their time and raised funds for community groups.

The shortlist

ALZHEIMER'S Concern Ealing (ACE)has been helping people with dementia and their carers since 1982 and was nominated twice for the community award.

If it won, the money would be put towards activities for younger people with dementia.

THE Ealing Soup Kitchen dishes up more than food for up to 80 homeless people.

Its staff and volunteers also run art classes, trips and special events. It is run by eight local churches on a rota basis helping people, many of whom have drug, alcohol or mental problems.

Winning an award would mean extending facilities like reading, writing and possibly music classes.

SIR Oswald Stoll Foundation provides homes and support to vulnerable ex-service men and women.

It was founded by Sir Oswald Stoll in 1916 to help servicemen injured in the First World War and their families to live independently.

It would use any money to buy another computer for its computer room, which would help disabled people with special needs and younger tenants to get work.

THE Log Cabin provides care for children with and without special needs.

It offers care and activities during the school holidays and after school and provides a minibus to collect and drop off children.

It wants some money to buy a specialised accessible and inclusive swing for all children.

HOMESTARTEaling, nominated twice, has supported vulnerable families with young children for more than 13 years.

It gives practical and emotional support and trains volunteers to offer one-to-one help to families under stress. It would use the cash to run extra activities such as day trips, fun days or a Christmas party.