Star comment: Vote and back your community

Today we are launching our latest Cash For Your Community giveaway of £20,000 to good causes in Shropshire and Mid Wales, in a link-up with Enterprise Flex-E-Rent.

There are 35 groups and organisations which are in line for a share of the cash and as a community newspaper the Shropshire Star is delighted to be able to help them in this way. These groups, and others like them across Shropshire and Mid Wales, are the lifeblood of the area.

This is the fourth year of our campaign which for some gives a substantial boost and for others lets them go ahead with projects which, while smaller, all have to be found money for.

We said at the start that it was money for nothing, which is true, but there is also a string attached because how much the various groups get individually will depend on how well they can mobilise readers of the Shropshire Star and gain their support.

We're printing Cash For Your Community tokens for readers to collect and send on to their chosen cause. The group that gets the most tokens gets the most money, with the top payout available being £5,000.

So the big question for readers is: who do you want to support? The candidates for the cash all do valuable work in various fields but the opportunity is there to get us to put our money where your support lies.

Cash For Your Community 2018:

• Click here for full coverage including the list of 35 shortlisted community groups and charities

• Cash for Your Community 2018 - full T&Cs plus printable posters

Not that there are going to be any losers. The group which comes second gets £2,000, with £1,000 for third, which will enable them to undertake schemes and projects which they have perhaps had to put off while they strive to raise the cash.

The other 32 groups will get a share of the remaining £12,000. As part of the selection process, they have all identified particular uses for the money, which range from expanding services and new projects, to helping with running costs and even treats for those they look after.

The stage then, is set. Now it is over to you. In our special supplement today you can pore over the candidates. A favourite cause may immediately come to mind, or you may wish to delve more deeply.

They are all deserving, so expect the choice be tough. Maybe you will want to support more than one cause with the tokens you collect.

Your tokens are a bit like votes - votes to determine who should get the most from our cash pot.

So please "vote" - and seize your chance to support those who do so much to support the community.

* Visit our partners Enterprise Flex-E-Rent's website at www.flexerent.co.uk