We set up the Selecta in the Community Awards to reconise the efforts of staff who have made an outstanding contribution to a project in their spare time. The first prize winner receives a cheque for £1,000 which goes towards helping their chosen initiative or activity, while the other nominees are given merit awards and £100 for their project. Held for the first time this year, the Selecta in the Community Awards are set to become an annual event.

Our judging panel had a tough decision to choose the winner but handed the top prize to Business Development Executive Lucy Gould for her impressive exploits in the swimming pool. Earlier this year Lucy flew to Australia to take part in the 12th FINA World Masters Swimming Championships, the biggest event in world swimming for competitors over the age of 25. Lucy, who has been swimming competitively for her local club Northgate in her home town of Bridgnorth, Shropshire since the age of five and represented England Schools in the pool, was one of more than 8,000 competitors fighting it out in the event.

Lucy, who we sponsored at the competition, turned in some excellent  performances in a number of events and gained a finalists' medal in the 50 metres backstroke, swimming a season's personal best time to finish in 10th place.

"It was a great experience to be able to go and take part in the World Masters Swimming Championship and winning this award is the icing on the cake," says Lucy. "I couldn't have gone to the event without Selecta's sponsorship and the £1,000 will go towards paying for my trip."

We also handed out five merit awards with each winner receiving £100 to go towards their initiative. Customer Business Development Manager Ian Loseby was handed his prize money for a project to create an extension at Holy Trinity Church in Barrow upon Soar in Leicestershire. Regional Manager for East Anglia Stephen Stapenhill-Hunt received a donation to go towards a local children's playground, while Customer Support Advisor Jessica Taylor was given her prize money in support of the School of St Jude, an English Medium School which serves orphaned and vulnerable children in Tanzania. In Ireland, Operations Assisitant Jennifer Kelly received £100 for Kimmage Manor Toddler Group in Dublin and Regional Manager Rob Brown was given a donation which he handed to University of Ulster Coleraine Rugby Club in Northern Ireland.

"The first Selecta in the Community Awards has proved very successful and i'd like to extend my congratulations to all of the winners," says Sales and Marketing Director Jonathan Barr. "The awards have been established so that we can give something back to our staff by lending our support to a project or initiative that is important to them. It's great to see so many members of our team involved in such a variety of worthwhile activities in their spare time and it's only right that they should be rewarded."