Combined Insurance teamed up with the Derby Evening Telegraph to launch the first ever Make It Happen award scheme to give away a share of a £10,000 prize pool to people, groups and charities who wanted to benefit the community in the Derby area.

Later in the year, a panel of judges will decide which of the awards entries are most beneficial to the community and most deserving of the cash, then award winners will be invited to a special awards ceremony.

Find out more about the history of the Make it Happen Community Awards >>

As soon as the competition was launched in July, the newspaper received a wide variety of nominations. By September, when the competition closed, there were around 32 entries requesting between £150 and £10,000.

In October, a panel of judges, made up of representatives from the Evening Telegraph and Combined Insurance, gathered in London to decide the best way to share out the £10,000 prize.

After much deliberation they selected 16 organisations which would each receive a slice of the money. The judges decided on three main aspects of community life on which the cash should be spent - culture, health and youth.

Winning ideas included money for a youth theatre group to buy a stage and curtains for its new headquarters, sponsorship for Brownies to participate in a training scheme and funding for a youth worker to save an after-school club from closure.

Other requests included funding to set up parenting classes, a donation to save a dance school from closure and money to pay for a new ramp to allow access for disabled people.

The award scheme was so popular that even after the closing date nominations were still coming in.

103 Sea Cadets, Derby - for new showers
118th Scout Group, Littleover - towards an extension for the group's HQ
145th Breadsall Hilltop Scouts - for a Christmas lunch for under-privileged people
1st Allenton Brownies - sponsorship
Darley Abbey Entertainments Group - for new sound equipment
Derby Children's Friendship - for tents
Derby TocH Children's Camp - to repair tents and pay for an industrial washe
Donna Maria Fraher, Derby - for a sensory garden for mental health patients
Friesland Orchestral Society, Long Eaton - for sheet music
Little Chester Heritage Centre, Chester Green - for costumes
Locko Amateur Dramatic Society - towards stage equipment
One Nation Fitness Centre, Normanton - towards new dumbbells
Shelton Lock - for members' rock climbing
Sinfin Summer Project - for a Pop Idol-style competition
Sinfin Youth Theatre - to stage a performance of Arabian Nights
Visually Impaired Persons' Group
Wednesday Is Fun Club, Wilmorton - for a youth worker

Find out about other communities where Combined is Making it Happen >>