THIS year, it put the spotlight on people and organisations in the Basingstoke area that have really made a difference - and now it's launch time for next year's A Place to be Proud of Awards event.

In March, individuals and groups were honoured as the first-ever A Place to be Proud of Awards culminated in a special awards ceremony in Festival Place.

The prestigious event - which was hosted by local celebrity Dr Hilary Jones - was created with the twin aim of celebrating local achievement and raising the profile of Basingstoke and Deane as a place to be proud of.

Gazette Newspapers, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Festival Place and the Local Strategic Partnership were the driving forces behind the awards - and the same partnership is working together on what will be the bigger and even better A Place to be Proud of Awards 2004-05.

A special launch event will be taking place in October, but the date has already been set for next year's awards ceremony - Tuesday, June 7 - and Festival Place will again be the venue for the grand finale.

As with the first year, local businesses are being encouraged to come on board as category sponsors and supporters of the awards - and Gazette Newspapers and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council have already come forward as joint sponsors of the Good Citizen category for the second year running.

Gazette Newspapers editor Mark Jones said: "The inaugural A Place to be Proud of Awards event was a terrific success. Gazette Newspapers is again delighted to be among the leading organisations involved in the 2004-05 awards and is also proud to be a joint sponsor of the Good Citizen award with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council."

Giving her support to the awards, borough mayor Cllr Gwen Richardson said: "There is plenty to be proud of in the borough. We have a rich history and a very bright future.

"The diversity of the area is what makes it such an exciting place in which to live, work, play and learn and central to all of this is the local community. They help to shape it and the A Place to be Proud of Awards are a welcome celebration of this amazing diversity."

Jane Stewart, marketing manager at Festival Place, said: "The A Place to be Proud of Awards 2003-04 was a tremendous success. The awards highlighted many of the things that Basingstoke and Deane has to celebrate and played an important role in changing perceptions of the town and surrounding area.

"The popularity of the awards, the large number of high-quality entries and the positive feedback that we received following the awards ceremony in March confirmed the organisers' views that the awards should become an annual event.

"Festival Place is therefore delighted to be involved and to be working, once again, with Gazette Newspapers, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and the Local Strategic Partnership.

"We are all working hard to ensure that the A Place to be Proud of Awards 2004-05 will be even bigger and better than before."

As well as the Good Citizen award, the other categories in the 2004-05 A Place to be Proud of Awards will be:

Safe Community

Healthy Community

Creativity

Learning

Customer Service

Sense of Place

People of our Time, which will be split into two sections - one for 20 to 55-year-olds and one for over-55s.

As was the case in the first year, there will be awards for individuals and groups in most of the categories.

Over the coming weeks and months, The Gazette will be reporting on the build-up to the A Place to be Proud of Awards for 2004-05 - and we'll be reporting on all the local companies and organisations that come forward as category sponsors and supporters.

As well as keeping up with the latest developments in The Gazette, you can keep updated by visiting the special A Place to be Proud of Awards section on the Awards part of The Gazette website.

Any firm or organisation interested in becoming a category sponsor can obtain more information by contacting Jane Stewart on 01256 326022 or by e-mailing info@festivalplace.co.uk