Whether you have gone above and beyond the call of duty for customers, mentored an amazing apprentice or perhaps worked hard for charity or your local community, most businesses have a positive story to tell.

If you are one of them, it could win you a three-year free van lease or £5,000 in cash as vehicle leasing company Vanarama launches its second Van Hero Awards scheme.

Vans now account for one in five of all vehicles on urban roads and motorways. And as we witness more vans on the roads than ever before, these awards, in their second year, celebrate the diversity of van drivers in the UK.

Last year saw husband and wife team Rachel and Lee Greenley, from Harriet Lee Building & Renovation in north Wales, scoop the Van Hero title for their outstanding customer service and selfless work in their community.

The couple are reaping the financial and publicity rewards of entering the competition. Saving money they would have spent on a vehicle and the increased interest in their business has helped them to afford to rent new premises. “We won the award last September and since then we’ve taken on five people on full time contracts and one of them is very happily driving our free van around,” says Rachel.

This year’s Van Hero competition opens on 5 June. You then have until 31 July to get your entry in. You can find out all about it on the website  www.vanarama.co.uk/vanheroes Andy Alderson, founder and CEO of Vanarama, says: “Far too often van drivers get a bad press but the majority are hardworking family people running their own business. We want to celebrate their entrepreneurialism and reward them.”