LOCAL lifesavers RAPID UK are one of three organisations that have been shortlisted against fierce competition for the highly prestigious BBC ASIA Community Award.

The BBC ASIA (Asian Success, Innovation and Achievement) Awards, supported by Jaguar Cars Ltd, pays tribute to members of the community who have made a substantial contribution to the British Asian community for the third consecutive year.

RAPID (Rescue and Prepardness in Disasters) UK dispatched 12 individuals to Bhuj, the Indian state of Gujarat on January 26 to help rescue the victims in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Among the many lives they helped to save, the team rescued a ten-year-old boy Parth Joshi, who had been buried alive for 93 hours, and assisted him in getting a prosthetic limb. RAPID UK also launched an appeal back in the UK and has raised £12,000 for the Trust Fund for Parth to date.

Nina Wadia, star of the BBC hit comedy show Goodness Gracious Me and one of the high profile judges, said of the awards: 'The level of entries of nominees was incredibly high and made my job an absolute nightmare.

'It is fantastic to see there are so many wonderful individuals out there who are making a difference to people's lives or making waves in their profession on a daily basis.'

The awards ceremony will be held at the National Exhibition Centre Arena in Birmingham on March 25 and will be transmitted on BBC2 on March 26 and 27 at 11.20pm.