COMMUNITY website owners could be rewarded for their sterling work - by sharing a prize fund of £5,000.

The CommuniGate initiative run by Newsquest North-East, publishers of The Northern Echo, has seen more than 2,000 non-profit organisations set up their own sites free of charge.

They could be in line to win the Best Community Website competition run by CommuniGate and Barclays.

Sites will be judged on their content, usefulness and how effectively they promote their group or charity.

The winner will pick up £3,000, with two runners-up each collecting £1,000.

The competition is open to existing sites built through CommuniGate and those that will be established with the scheme by the end of November. Judging will begin in early December.

Anyone can nominate a site for consideration and entries should include its name, web address and the reasons why it has been put forward. The closing date is November 30.

Entries can be sent to Karen Maughan, Community Web Editor, Newsquest North-East, Priestgate, Darlington, DL1 1NF. Nominations can also be made online at www.communigate.co.uk/ne

The CommuniGate scheme recently launched a minibus, equipped with laptop computers and seating, which brings technology to more of the region's communities. Funding to convert the minibus came from Barclays, which is also backing the website competition.