Combined teamed up with the local newspaper, the Derby Evening Telegraph and welcomed entries from across the local community, whether it was an after-school club that needed £500 for art equipment, a charity that needed £2,000 towards a new minibus, or an individual who wanted £100 to start a coffee morning, everyone who wanted to benefit the local community had a chance to enter.

Clive Robinson, Senior Vice President Europe, Pacific and Asia Operations for Combined Insurance, said:
“The Make It Happen awards is a real chance to make communities better places to live, work and go to school and any scheme, group or charity in the area can apply for a share of the prize pool as long as the money is going to be used to benefit the community.”

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

Later in the year, a panel of judges, made up of representatives from Combined Insurance and the Derby Evening Telegraph 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.

The winners of the first Make it Happen awards were invited to attend a special awards ceremony and dinner at Derby’s famous Pride Park Stadium and were presented with their share of the £10,000 prize pool by local celebrity and well-known Derby football manager, Brian Clough.

Combined’s Marketing Director, Nigel Brittle said:
“Our company’s philosophy is investing in people, enhancing lives and building for the future and we wanted to do something to represent this.

We are always getting requests for sponsorship from various community groups, but it is so difficult to decide which is the most deserving cause. By holding this competition we hope to have used the money more meaningfully. “

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.

Clive Robinson, Senior Vice President Europe, Pacific and Asia Operations for Combined Insurance, said:
"This campaign allows us to demonstrate our belief that if you give people an opportunity, no matter how small, it can make a real difference.

We have a philosophy that wherever we operate we want to improve the quality of life of the people we are involved with - our staff and customers.

We are looking forward to seeing the dreams of winners realised in the coming months.”

Since the phenomenal success of Combined’s first Community Awards initiative, many more Make it Happen Awards have been announced in other communities across the UK and Ireland - giving each community the opportunity to benefit their own local people, groups and charities with a share of their very own £10,000 prize pool!

Find out which communities have been chosen to host their own Make it Happen awards