The Fostering Network has reached the finals of Marketing magazine's first ever Brand Design Awards.

The charity entered the competition following the introduction of its new identity last November.

After 27 years as the National Foster Care Association, the organisation worked with design consultants Visible Edge to develop a new name and logo to reflect the modern face of foster care.

Since this rebranding the Fostering Network has developed a successful website, designed a popular range of foster carer recruitment materials and relaunched the quarterly Foster Care magazine to much acclaim.

In total, more than 200 brands were entered into 23 categories.

From these, a panel of 21 judges chaired by Marketing editor Craig Smith has now chosen 38 finalists, including the Fostering Network as one of only two voluntary organisations to have been shortlisted.

Other finalists include Abbey National, Hovis and Virgin Mobile.

The winners in each category together with "best in show" will be revealed at the Brand Design Award ceremony on Tuesday, October 1, 2002, at the Dorchester Hotel in London.

The Fostering Network's Head of External Affairs Sean McDougall said: "We're particularly pleased to have reached the finals of these awards because it demonstrates that cost-effective branding strategies can succeed in a world dominated by the spending power of big commercial companies.

"Our old identity had served us well, but we wanted to improve our ability to project our enthusiasm for bringing about change in the fostering service for the benefit of children and young people in foster care.

"The new name and logo more clearly reflect our values and aspirations for the children."

The Brand Design Awards aim to "recognise and reward the creative contributions made by so many individuals and organisations to the creation, positioning, look, experience and communication of a successful brand".