The Citizens of the Year competition - organised by The Gazette and Safeway - was launched earlier this year and the response was incredible.

Entries flooded in for the five categories - Teacher of the Year, Good Neighbour, Most Courageous Child, Beyond the Call of Duty, and Carer of the Year - leaving the judges with a tough task of picking the winners and finalists.

On Monday night, all the nominees and people who nominated candidates for awards were invited to a special presentation ceremony in the restaurant at Safeway's Worting Road store where the finalists and winners were presented with their prizes by new borough mayor Cllr Rita Burgess.

All the finalists were awarded special certificates with the winners also receiving £200 in gift vouchers from Safeway.

Gazette editor Mark Jones told the audience: "When we launched this event earlier this year, we hoped it would give people the chance to put the spotlight on unsung heroes, children of courage, teachers who perhaps do not always get their fair share of glory, and carers and good neighbours who make a real difference to people's lives.

"In any awards event, there have to be winners. However, it is true to say that in the Citizens of the Year Awards, there are no losers. Everyone who has been nominated can take pride in knowing that their contribution, whether on a community or individual level, has been recognised, and deservedly so."

The mayor said it was lovely to see so many people nominated for the awards.

She added: "These are all people who have put something back into the community. Looking after each other is what it's all about and I hope these awards become an annual event as we need more recognition for unsung heroes."

Iain Marshall, the manager of Safeway in Basingstoke, said: "It is important that people maintain a sense of community spirit and I am glad that, through these awards, we can recognise these people and what they have done."

Citizens of the Year Awards 2002 - Roll of Honour

Teacher of the Year: Winner - the Rev John Lewis

Finalists - Mark Nevola, Michelle Venn, Mark Roberts, Esther Hucker

Most Courageous Child: Winner - Mary-Ann Heywood

Finalists - Olivia Simmonds, Cara Gifford

Good Neighbour of the Year: Winners - Barbara and Ivor Stead

Finalists - Salma Sheik, Hilary and Terry Bowles, Elsie Compton

Carer of the Year: Winner - Jenny Pitt

Finalists - Carole Simmonds, Marion Bennett, Dr Jonathan Peters, Eileen Pither

Beyond the Call of Duty: Winner - Arthur Hall

Finalists - Shirley King, Bill Gough, Pearl Russell, Julie Read, June Gibbs, Elizabeth George