Votes close for a national journalism award this evening and the Kent Messenger has received two nominations.

The organisation of a belated Christmas meal and the awareness raised to search for Pat Lamb is up for the Making a Difference award, with an online public vote closing at 5pm.

Our Feast for the Flooded campaign was the first of the two to take place and saw around 50 Yalding residents attend a belated Christmas meal following the floods at the end of 2013.

Many of them were unable to celebrate Christmas so we organised a full Christmas dinner complete with drinks, live music and transport - all for free.

It would not have been possible without the support of partner organisations.

Students at MidKent College cooked and serve the meal, with the college's Apprentice Restaurant on the Oakwood Park campus also hosting the event.

Waitrose provided a selection of the food and Nu-Venture provided a free shuttlebus to and from the event.

Yalding Parish Council also helped distribute invites and Shepherd Neame provided 80 bottles of ale.

The second campaign is called Missing: Patrick Lamb.

It saw KM reporters join search teams in the hunt for 28-year-old Pat Lamb, who disappeared during a night out in Maidstone with friends in December.

We created a video reconstruction of Mr Lamb’s last known movements and covered the search extensively online and in print.

We also produced missing person posters which were displayed in shop windows across the county town.

Both key witnesses in the case came forward as a result of the coverage and were able to give in depth statements to police.

Sadly Mr Lamb’s body was discovered at Cuxton Marina nearly a month later.

In the wake of the tragedy Kent Search and Rescue, who led the effort saw a record number of applications from people wishing to volunteer with them.