Bonanzafor community heroes

IT WAS an evening of celebration when for the sixth consecutive year Courier Media Group and AXA PPP healthcare teamed up to applaud – and of course reward – those who work tirelessly behind the scenes for the good of others in the community.

This year the much-anticipated Heart of the Community Awards saw £12,000 given away to deserving causes across Kent and Sussex, with projects as diverse as a pre-school nursery to a male voice choir.

In addition to receiving their awards at the event at Salomon's near Southborough, it was a chance for the hard-working volunteers of the many and varied charities and organisations to relax, network and give each other a well-earned pat on the back for the life-changing effects they have on their respective communities.

Courier managing director Richard Karn acknowledged the tough times facing businesses which made cutbacks inevitable but stressed the newspaper's enduring commitment to the Heart of the Community Awards along with its partner AXA PPP.

Courier editor Ian Read said there had been thousands of public votes for the entrants and described the cash prizes as "a vital lifeline for their causes".

Thunderous applause accompanied the winners as they made their way up to the stage to collect their cheques and trophies and all enthused about the effects the cash injection and the much-needed publicity would have on their individual projects.

Presenting the final award was AXA's customer services director Victoria Georgalakis who told the audience: "I cannot tell you how delighted I am to be here this evening. AXA PPP recognises the importance of voluntary activity in the local community and the amazing difference you guys make."

She described the competition this year for the awards as being "really tough" and said: "It's people like you that make an amazing difference to the society we live in." She outlined the community work undertaken by AXA PPP in and around Tunbridge Wells, particularly the company's Hearts in Action scheme which sees more than 300 employees give up their time free to help local groups.

Also referring to the tough times , describing them as "pretty grim", she said it could be hard for companies to be seen to be supporting charities when it was forcing redundancies. But, she pointed out: "People appreciate even more in the bad times, the importance of community."

Presenting the AXA Heart Award, she said the company was looking for something with "longevity, something with breadth of appeal and originality" – and she awarded the £500 cheque and trophy to the delighted Hurst Green Action Group.

Special guest was Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark who clearly enjoyed catching up with the many friends and acquaintances he has made across most of the area's charities. He praised AXA for its "incredibly generous and consistent donation of cash year after year" and the efforts of its employees who throughout the year gladly helped the many charities from the Number One Cafe in Showfields to the Pickering Cancer Drop-in Centre.

"It really makes a difference and one of the things that is so great about voluntary work is that it is infectious," he said. "I think everyone here is not just associated with the charity that brings them here tonight but involved in their communities and the community becomes deeper as a result."

Talking of the Courier Media Group, he said many of its staff were themselves also involved in their communities and he said the role the newspaper played in the community was "essential".

He added: "The links between the Courier and community, I think, are indivisible. These are tough times for local newspapers but I think it is important here and up and down the country we recognise what it does for the community and to say we are so grateful to the Courier for the support it gives to the community."