ACROSS the county tens of thousands of people are working towards making their communities a fabulous place to live. From organising fun days, cleaning away litter and planting flowers, to protecting the area from overdevelopment and fundraising to provid

ACROSS the county tens of thousands of people are working towards making their communities a fabulous place to live.

From organising fun days, cleaning away litter and planting flowers, to protecting the area from overdevelopment and fundraising to provide local amenities and services. The work can be seen everywhere.

Every community has a story to tell, and every community has a chance to enter the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Community Life Awards which aims to find the best examples of community in action in a wide variety of categories.

The awards, sponsored by Calor in association with Archant - publisher of The Hunts Post - and others, were launched in February.

Publicity leaflets have been sent out to the county's villages, market towns, community groups, community buildings and pubs inviting them to enter.

Already the awards are attracting groups, which can win a share of more than £3,000 prize money, but there is still plenty of time for more communities to get involved.

Alison Brown, Community Life Awards co-ordinator, said: "It's fantastic to read about the community ventures going on in the towns and villages around Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

"If the entries received so far are anything to go by then there are some real unsung heroes out there, working on their own, or as part of bigger community groups. We really want to give them the recognition they deserve and make sure their efforts are properly celebrated."

If you are involved in a community-led venture in your town or village and have not yet heard about the awards, then here is a re-cap of all the categories:

* Cambridgeshire Volunteer Awards: Sponsored by Cambridgeshire County Council.

These awards are a chance to nominate the local heroes and unsung volunteers for their outstanding contribution to community life. The awards are a symbol of the county's appreciation of individual voluntary effort.

* Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Village of the Year Award: Sponsored by Calor, the UK's leading supplier of liquefied petroleum gas.

This award recognises community spirit and achievement at a village level - scenic beauty is not important. The prize is £1,000 for the winning community to spend however it wishes.

* Aspects of Community Life: Sponsored by Archant (owners of The Hunts Post) and a host of other local businesses.

The categories give community groups and locally-run facilities recognition for the huge, positive impact they have on different aspects of community life. Winners will benefit from cash awards of between £200 and £500. The categories available for entries are: Children and Young People in the Community, Older People in the Community, Environment and the Community, Heritage in the Community, Enterprise in the Community, Learning in the Community, Community Pub of the Year, and Community Building of the Year.

INFORMATION: To find out more about the awards and details on how to enter, visit the awards website: www.communitylifeawards.org. uk. All the guidelines and entry/nomination forms can be downloaded from here. To request an entry pack by phone, call the Community Life Awards co-ordinators, Alison Brown on 01353 865029 or Julie Weekes on 01353 865032.

The closing date for entries is June 30, 2007, and winners will be announced at a presentation dinner event on September 4 at the Burgess Civic Hall in St Ives.