Last week we focussed on the three finalists for the Bond Pearce Innovation Award. This week we turn the spotlight on the final contenders for the Marsh business in The Community Award, and next Tuesday we will discover just who is in line for the KPMG Hampshire Company of the Year.

Hampshire Business Awards' community finalists

The finalists for this year's Marsh Business in the Community Award - Associated British Ports, Ford Motor Company and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service - impressed the judges with the wide range of support they offer to the local community and the tangible benefits that these projects are achieving.

Ranging from the loan of company facilities for little or no cost, to providing full-scale training programmes to those who are finding it tough to get jobs, each project is addressing an important local need.

The three finalists are (in alphabetical order):

Associated British Ports (ABP), Port of Southampton

Andrew Kent, port director, Southampton, says, "ABP is keen to ensure that members of the local community enjoy the Solent as much as possible. This is why we have donated facilities and resources to local marine charities such as the Jubilee Sailing Trust, SS Shieldhall and the Maritime Volunteer Services, for a number of years.

"ABP play an active role in local schools. We recently sponsored an educational programme co-ordinated by the London Mozart Players, which involved local schoolchildren from the Redbridge area.

"Last year ABP gave to the people of Southampton four acres of land at Redbridge Wharf which we had transformed into a public park, planting over 9,000 trees, shrubs and plants, to give the public a perfect waterfront backdrop for recreational activities. We also have a very active arts sponsorship programme and support a number of worthwhile charities with their fundraising efforts."

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service

Mike Stead, divisional officer from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, says, "We're always disturbed when we hear about fires started deliberately, especially when people get injured or even die.

"Especially worrying is that around a quarter of all fires are started by children and we have to remember that old people and children are most at risk of death or injury in fire.

"Over and above our everyday duties as firefighters we actively campaign to prevent fires. From visiting schools to spread our messages, to raising funds to purchase smoke alarms for the elderly, we have worked tirelessly to combat this issue and I'm glad to say our measures are reducing the number of fires started in this way.

"We also get involved in a wide range of fundraising activities to provide cash for local causes, such as toys and equipment for the babies' ward at the local hospital, and to raise money for children at special schools."

Ford Motor Company

"A good company delivers excellent products and services; a great one delivers excellent products and services and strives to make the world a better place. This is the Ford philosophy on the world and we definitely see ourselves as a great company," says Keith Stanton, plant manager for Ford.

"Our community involvement revolves around three central themes - widening access to

learning, diversity/equal opportunities and reducing social exclusion. To this end we have opened up our education and training facilities to members of the community. We are working with many local schools to produce curriculum link programmes. We are offering joint Ford community basic skills programmes and we are just about to open a UK on-line computer centre for community use.

"We are working with a range of organisations to bring diversity/ equal opportunities programmes and training to other businesses, particularly helping small and medium-sized companies to realise the benefits of operating in a multi-racial society.

"We are also providing resources, support and expertise to a large number of community organisations. This has included adopting Naomi House, a Children's Hospice, as our Charity of the Year."