business categories are to be included in this year's A Place to be Proud of Awards in Basingstoke.

Two of the eight original categories from the Basingstoke Business Awards will be part of the second A Place to be Proud of event, which takes place in Festival Place on June 7.

Basingstoke Business Awards, which were due to be staged at the end of April, were cancelled after a shortfall of around £10,000 in funding.

This week, Basingstoke council announced that the A Place to be Proud of Awards will now feature a Business and the environment category plus a Business in the Community award.

For the second year running, The Carbon Trust is sponsoring the environment award, while a sponsor is being sought for the other category.

In the environment category, judges will be looking for an organisation that has made a real commitment to minimising its impact on the environment. The organisation will have to show clear policies and innovative approaches that are well communicated.

The community award will go to an organisation which can demonstrate that its business practices empower employees and that its measures of working benefit the community. It will also need to show a commitment to the community outside normal business activity to develop people, places and events through its sources - not just financial.

Cllr Paul Harvey, Basingstoke council's Cabinet member for employment, skills and learning, said: "Basingstoke and Deane is a place to be proud of for so many reasons and the awards celebrate the people, places and organisations that make the borough such a great place to live, work and visit.

"In one prestigious and high-profile awards scheme, we now celebrate excellence in all sectors of the borough."

In thanking The Carbon Trust for its sponsorship and urging sponsors to come on board for the second category, Cllr Harvey added: "I would encourage businesses to enter the awards to get the recognition they deserve for their environmental and community work."

The A Place to be Proud of Awards are organised by Gazette Newspapers, Basingstoke council, Festival Place and the Local Strategic Partnership. The deadline for entries is April 15, and judging takes place in May.

Entry forms are available by contacting Festival Place on 01256 326022 or from this website in the A Place to be Proud Of section, under the Awards heading.

First published: Friday, March 18, 2005