HOW TO ENTER

We need you to nominate your heroes. You can put yourself or your own group forward. The deadline for nominations is Thursday, November 6.

You can download an entry form at www.eveningtimes.co.uk or on our community sites at anniesland.eveningtimes.co.uk, drumchapel.eveningtimes.co.uk, knightswood.eveningtimes.co.uk, yoker.eveningtimes.co.uk, whiteinch.eveningtimes.co.uk Alternatively, e-mail gayle.cooper@glasgow.newsquest.co.uk or call her on 0141 302 7319.

To request a form by post write to Glasgow Community Champion Awards, Evening Times, 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow G2 3QB

BVT SURFACE FLEET: The reward is seeing the smiles on people's faces

The workers at the shipbuilding yards (formerly BAE Systems) at Scotstoun and Govan have raised almost £1.2million.

What started as a series of small-scale fun ways to help good causes over 20 years ago has blossomed into a commitment to generate funds and invest time, energy and knowledge in helping local projects.

Recent initiatives include restoring three barges used by a charity, carrying out maintenance at the Erskine home for ex-service people and building a play ship HMS Friendship' for Victoria Park playground.

The company also sprung into action to help revamp the house and garden of a terminally-ill cancer patient.

It's all driven by Willie McLachlan, who has recently been named the firm's Charity Co-ordinator.He organises the company's Charity Challenge, which last year raised £187,000.

Willie, 54, a health and safety trainer from Cumbernauld who has worked on the Clyde for 33 years, said: "You count your blessings that you're able to help other people.

"The reward? Seeing the smiles on the people's faces and the cards and letters that come in, thanking us."

The charity committee donates money raised by dances, raffles and race nights to causes like St Margaret's Hospice at Clydebank and Ronald McDonald House at Yorkhill.

Over 400 tickets have already been sold for the company's charity ball taking place at the Marriott Hotel on October 24.

"Any company could do this," adds Willie, "but only if they have someone to drive it.

"If anybody wanted to contact me I'd be more than willing to help out if it means they're going to benefit people who are not as fortunate as ourselves."

TEMPLE SHAFTON YOUTH PROJECT: Blaze damage brought out the true community spirit

Instead the blaze proved how much the community values the centre.

Within hours of the fire on the eve of Bonfire Night last year, offers of help to repair the damage to The Hut in Netherton Road were pouring in from parents, construction workers and tradesmen.

Project manager Paul Smith said: "We had a young man, a qualified electrician, who did the labour free of charge, a joiner was in, a painter was in, and we'd a granny walk in with a silver tray of sandwiches.

"That type of thing used to happen in the 1960s - you don't expect it nowadays."

The project began 21 years ago to provide a much-needed youth centre. A purpose-built venue was built in 1989 and its programme has grown over the years. It's now used every week by around 150 people aged from five to 25.

Activities include arts and crafts, sports, IT training, homework classes and advice sessions.

Some youngsters are raising money for a youth exchange to Australia next year, others take part in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, while 15-year-old Jamie Donald will take over the role of chairman next month.

The project receives around 60% of its £150,000 annual costs from Glasgow City Council, and has two full-time, four part-time staff, and six Project Scotland volunteers.

Young people regularly tidy up the area in the north-west of the city as part of the Clean Glasgow campaign.

"Community spirit is different to when we were young," says Paul. "It only exists where people work for it and strive for it now."

KINGSWAY COURT HEALTH AND WELLBEING CENTRE: Sense of pride in the area has replaced 'no-go' areas

Residents turned out in their hundreds for dawn patrols from 5.30am every morning, scouting for Home Office vans.

One elderly man may not be alive today if members of the pensioners' club hadn't intervened when his absence was noted. They alerted police who found him lying behind his door having suffered a stroke.

And it's a vital resource offering a creche, English language courses, youth and women's groups, citizens' advice, stress services, seven-a-side football matches, film production workshops, as well as being a relaxed drop-in centre.

All this from a small reclaimed space at the foot of one of the neighbourhood's six high-rise blocks.

Community health and development co-ordinator Martin Coyle said: "When I arrived there were unsavoury groups using the space.

"These were no-go areas for a number of years. But the bad guys' have moved on and that's a good indicator of there being a sense of pride in the area.

"A lot of that is down to the asylum seekers who have worked to integrate themselves into this community."

The centre was founded by the Kingsway Tenants' Association in 2000 using Social Inclusion Partnership funds. It coincided with the arrival of asylum seekers and provided clothing, food parcels and advice to new residents.

The centre employs five staff and receives around £140,000 a year from the Fairer Scotland Fund. It organises the annual Kingslink Carnival, which attracts over 2000 people and helps promote the award-winning Knightswood Youth Theatre group made up of locals, asylum seekers and refugees.

Martin said: "I get reluctant to say it's the centre - it's the people in the area who make the changes. The centre gives people confidence, it gives them the ideas, it gives them the facilities and the resources to take action and do what needs to be done to improve their community."