The judges have met to make their deliberations and draw up a shortlist in this year's Let's Do It community awards.

Barclays has teamed up with the Harrow Observer series to give a local charity the opportunity to win money to help fulfil its dreams.

The bank is offering a first prize of £1,000 and two runner-up prizes of £500 in the 2008 awards.

Readers sent in more than 160 nominations, a record number of entries, describing the charities and community groups which had touched their lives and given them help and support.

The judging team, comprising Harrow East MP Tony McNulty, Barclays' Wealdstone branch managers Premila Bhudia and Tracy Morgan, and Observer series editor David Tilley, met at the High Street Wealdstone branch last Friday for the difficult job of shortlisting the many applications.

Mr McNulty said: "There was quite an interesting range of applications, and it shows people in Brent and Harrow are doing such good work through these charities.

"It was very difficult to choose the winners, but I think the panel achieved consensus on the very worthwhile winners.

"I would like to thank Barclays and the Harrow Observer for the contest."

Wealdstone branch managers Tracy Morgan and Premila Bhudia said: "It was quite overwhelming the number of entries we got and how very diverse they are.

"It was very difficult to make a decision as they're all quite deserving.

"We are also very happy to offer our manpower to them as well as our money as sometimes this can be even more important than pounds and pence.

"We're really proud to have the involvement of the MP and the community, and the awards will make a real and lasting difference while giving us the opporunity to find out a little bit about the charities."

Mr Tilley said: "We have had a great range of entries this year and I was particularly pleased with the number of people who took the time to nominate some really worthy groups.

"It is good to hear so much great work is being done in our community and that some very deserving people will soon get a helping hand."

The shortlisted groups, who will be contacted in the next few days, will be featured in next week's paper, with the winners receiving their awards at a special ceremony next month.