WHO ARE the real stars of Streets Ahead?

The Evening Times and Clean Glasgow are hosting the third annual awards in honour of the men, women and children who have transformed our city over the past year.

Since it launched in 2011, our community campaign has been making a difference in every corner of Glasgow.

Now, it is time to reward the inspiring individuals, brilliant businesses and creative communities determined to change this city for the better.

Last year's winners included the overall champions, Shettleston Community Growing Project, who turned a derelict piece of land into a community garden, allotments and mini-orchard, running a children's project, the Smelly Welly Club, and providing volunteering opportunities for local people.

This year, we want to hear about other wonderful work being carried out under the Streets Ahead banner, whether it's lunchtime litter-picks, community gardens, road safety, flower-planting projects or something completely different...

Send us your stories and your photographs, and as much information as possible about your project, in time for the competition closing date of May 23.

To nominate yourself or someone else, visit the awards website at www.eveningtimesevents.com/streetsahead

You can also email lyndsay.wilson@heraldandtimes.co.uk or call 0141 302 7407.

We will be awarding eight prizes, including an overall winner, to be announced at a ceremony in the Winter Gardens at the People's Palace on Glasgow Green on June 19.

There will be trophies for the best garden, best clean-up campaign, best environmental initiative, best community garden, best community initiative and best business initiative, plus a schools award.

The best garden prize will be presented to the best residential garden. We are looking for gardens which are attractive and improve the local area.

Perhaps you know of someone who always keeps his or her garden looking beautiful, or who is on hand to provide support and advice to neighbours?

The clean-up category celebrates the best clean-up initiatives taking place across the city.

We want to hear from people who have come together to tidy up their local area, whether it's a street, gardens, allotments or even a park.

The award for best environmental initiative will be go to city's best 'green' project, whether it's a recycling scheme, a road safety initiative or something else.

We want applicants to demonstrate what environmental benefits their project has brought to the community.

For the best community garden category, we will be looking for gardens which are used by the whole community.

We want to hear about how they were set upand why they deserve to win.

Across Glasgow, communities are banding together to improve their local areas for the benefit of everyone who lives and works there.

The winner of the best community initiative category will be an exceptional example of a project which encourages people to work together to make a real difference to people's lives.

The Green Glasgow Business Award will be presented to a company which has played its part in keeping Glasgow clean and green.

It could be through recycling initiatives or waste management, or by getting involved in community projects that aim to improve the local area for everyone.

The schools award will be presented to a nursery, primary, second or assisted support for learning school which can demonstrate what contribution it has made to its community.

It could be through regular clean-ups, eco-friendly initiatives or gardening - the sky is the limit!

The overall winner will be chosen from the winners of all the other categories.

Councillor Gordon Matheson, chairperson of the Clean Glasgow campaign and leader of Glasgow City Council, said: "Over the last few years, these awards have been a great opportunity to highlight the fantastic work being carried out across the city by committed groups and individuals to enhance their local communities.

"I love hearing about people taking great pride in their surroundings and helping make our city a cleaner, safer place to live, work and socialise."

Streets Ahead is also supported by our partners, City Charitable Trust, Glasgow Housing Association, ScotRail and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Sir Willie Haughey, chairman of City Charitable Trust, said: "The Trust has worked tirelessly over the years to make Glasgow a city we can all be proud of.

"We're delighted to be involved with Streets Ahead, which allows us to work with our partners and the ordinary men, women, boys and girls of the city to continue to help improve the lives of all who live here."

Pat Callaghan, ScotRail director for corporate social responsibility, said: "Streets Ahead is a fantastic way of paying tribute to the excellent work carried out by people across Glasgow."

AND she went onL "We are delighted to be involved in this campaign to improve the environment and recognise those who have gone the extra mile for the city."

Assistant Chief Officer Lewis Ramsay, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's (SFRS's) Director of Prevention and Protection, said: "The SFRS's vision is working together for a safer Scotland.

"Our involvement in Streets Ahead is an excellent example of working together with the full range of partner agencies and crucially the public themselves, to achieve that vision.

"I am looking forward to hearing about the outstanding projects which have made such a difference to the lives of people across Glasgow."

Evening Times editor Tony Carlin said: "Streets Ahead has enjoyed another wonderful year. People across the city have been inspired by our campaign to dig, plant, clean-up and work together on a whole raft of projects and we are delighted to have helped so many."

He added: "With the support of Clean Glasgow, and our other campaign partners, Glasgow Housing Association, Scottish Fire and Rescue, City Charitable Trust and ScotRail, the Streets Ahead awards night will reward some of the best projects and most hard-working individuals who have played their part in making Glasgow a better city for all of us."

GHA Chairman Gordon Sloan said: "We want to create neighbourhoods people can be proud of. That's what Streets Ahead is all about -and why we're proud to be partners again this year.

"Streets Ahead brings neighbourhoods and local groups closer together to make a lasting difference and helps change communities for the better."

ann.fotheringham@ eveningtimes.co.uk