WITH the festive season just around the corner, the Ham&High has teamed up with Barclays to relaunch our Christmas Cheer campaign which provides local charitable groups with some vital cash. In this special giveaway, charitable and voluntary groups from C

WITH the festive season just around the corner, the Ham&High has teamed up with Barclays to relaunch our Christmas Cheer campaign which provides local charitable groups with some vital cash.

In this special giveaway, charitable and voluntary groups from Camden, Haringey, Barnet and Westminster who are doing great things in the community will be eligible for £5,500 worth of grants to support them in their work.

We are currently inviting groups to apply for the cash awards, explaining the reasons why they are worthy.

Deserving groups will share a slice of the £5,500 Christmas Cheer cash fund. Up for grabs are three £1,000 cash prizes, three £500 prizes and four worth £250.

One of last year's winners was the St John Ambulance Highgate group, who were awarded a £500 grant.

It has been providing health services at events in the area and around London for almost 70 years and has to raise all its own funds to train volunteers.

Divisional superintendent Tom Webster said: "We spent the Christmas Cheer grant on a new laptop and projector to basically improve the training programme here and we have been using them all year. It improves the students' training and helps explain stuff and we are also able to get onto the internet to look things up and explain it.

"We also use PowerPoint for presentations which help the staff and it just makes us look more professional.

"We were very happy when we got the grant last year. I would definitely recommend other groups to apply this year because it really helps the community."

Another £500 winner was the Mayhew Animal Home, north London's local animal shelter taking in stray and unwanted creatures great and small.

The Mayhew has great local support and actress Imelda Staunton and her actor husband Jim Carter adopted a Cairn Terrier cross from the home.

Their cash grant was spent on developing the work of BARK - a joint task force between the home, the RSPCA, the police and Brent Council - set up to tackle the problems of irresponsible dog ownership.

Sarah Dickinson said: "Grants such as the one from Barclays and the Ham&High newspaper are a fantastic help to us here at the Mayhew.

"Funds like these contribute to absolutely essential aspects of rescue animal care.

"Aspects such as emergency and routine veterinary procedures, upkeep of our kennels and cattery and maintaining our vehicles and equipment so our animal welfare officers can carry out their work in the community.

"A huge thank-you to the Ham&High for providing The Mayhew and all its animals with last year's grant."

Anyone can enter wheth-er you work for a registered charity, organise a scout group or just know a local organisation that needs help.

The closing date for applications is December 3. Shortlisted entrants will be advised the following week, with an award ceremony taking place on December 11.

To enter, simply tell us about the charity, what it does, where it operates, why it deserves the award and specifically what it would spend the money on.

Send the details by post or email to Christmas Cheer, Ham&High Series, 100a Avenue Road, NW3 3HF (editor@hamhigh.co.uk). You may submit one additional A4 sheet (typed or printed) supporting your nomination and be sure to include all your details, both for yourself and the organization you are nominating.

Grants can only be made to registered charities or not for profit organisations.

To find out more about Barclays Community Investment Programme visit www.barclays.com/community.