A CHARITY helping young people in Hammersmith and Fulham get off benefits and into work is the latest in the running to win a cash prize.

The Chronicle and Barclays joined forces to launch a competition for community groups or charities to win cash and financial training last month.

A first prize of £1,000 is up for grabs through the Barclays Fulham and Hammersmith Chronicle Series Let’s Do It Awards, which also covers the boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster.

Spear, which has centres in Chelsea, Hammersmith, Fulham and Shepherd’s Bush, has helped thousands of 16 to 24 year-olds gain the skills they need to get a job.

It runs specialist six-week courses on a variety of subjects, such as CV writing and interview techniques, which ends with students achieving a City and Guilds qualification in customer service.

Classes run between 2pm and 5pm five days a week, with a capacity of 15 students and a graduation ceremony at the end of each course.

It has become so popular that has opened a new centre in St Stephen’s Church, in Shepherd’s Bush, earlier this year and moved its head office into the newly-opened St Paul’s Church community centre, in Hammersmith.

But it still relies on donations and volunteers and are delighted to put themselves forward for the chance to win the prize.

Julia Grant, head of fundraising, said: “It costs us £1,000 to put a single youngster through our course so it would be fantastic if we won. We rely on volunteers and fundraising so any help we can get is much appreciated.

“Our team work really hard and we have had some fantastic results in helping the talented youngsters in the borough find the confidence and self-belief they need to fulfil their potential and get into work.”

Two runner-up prizes of £500 each will also be awarded, while a team of local Barclays staff will volunteer their services to support a charity of community organisation for day, along with a volunteering grant of £750 to be used specifically to purchase materials/costs of associated volunteering.