Press Archive

Cornton wins title Calor Scottish Community of the Year 2005

A broad range of work and eager volunteers helped to make Cornton Community Council the overall winner of the Calor Scottish Community of the Year Awards 2005.

Representatives of the community, near Stirling, received the accolade from Communities Minister, Malcolm Chisholm MSP, at a ceremony at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) today, Thursday 8 December.

In total twenty-six short-listed communities attended the annual event, which this year attracted more than one hundred entries from communities spanning the length and breadth of Scotland.

Now in their eighth year, the awards encompass every aspect of Scottish life, providing communities with an opportunity to gain recognition and reward for its efforts. Their aim is to stimulate local people to take responsibility for their communities and enhance them for common good.

Presenting the awards, Communities Minister Malcolm Chisholm said: “Congratulations to Cornton Community Council for winning the Calor Scottish Community of the Year Award. The breadth of their work makes them worthy winners. The extent of the voluntary commitment across the board is impressive, from their work with pre-school children, to work with the elderly and their work with people with learning difficulties. Cornton showed real community spirit, and their efforts are to be commended. We want to build stronger communities across Scotland, and Cornton Community Council is a great example of what can be achieved in community regeneration.“

Hamish Husband, the Calor Scottish Community of the Year manager said, “Cornton is proof that the accomplishments of a community, as well as its future, belong in the hands of those living in it. There is no doubt that Cornton has had its problems in the past, but what’s important, and what has shone through in the awards is the true fighting spirit of this close knit community”.

In addition to the winning the title of Calor Scottish Community of the Year 2005, Cornton was Highly Commended in the Younger People category and commended in the Older People category.

“The judges were particularly impressed with the marvellous sense of involvement of Cornton’s young people,” adds Hamish Husband. “Younger and older generations interact together and involve themselves in a number of community events and projects. The community led and managed initiatives have provided a number of groups for young people of all ages, as well as young adults within the community who still need a helping hand. There is a real sense of enjoyment from all involved and evidence of wonderful close knit community relations.”

Since launching in 1998 the awards, which are supported by Calor Scotland in association with Communities Scotland and backed by The Association of Scottish Community Councils (ASCC), The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Business in the Community (SBC) and The Robert Gordon University (RGU), have been entered by more than a third of all Scottish communities from the Borders to Shetland, as well as all the country’s major urban areas.

The award’s categories include environment, business, younger people, older people and community life, as well as a stand-alone award for community websites. Judging the awards were representatives of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Business in the Community (SBC), Communities Scotland, the Association of Scottish Community Councils (ASCC) and The Robert Gordon University and a Community Council Support Officer for a local authority.

For further information regarding the awards visit www.communityoftheyear.org.uk

December 06 , 2005

Notes to editors:

Full lists of winners, highly commended and commended communities, are available on the Community of the Year website at www.communityoftheyear.org.uk
Photographs are available on request from

Ashley Ross
The PR Partnership
tel 01224 588900
Ashley@prpartnership.co.uk

For further information and pictures contact:
Ashley Ross
Awards Co-ordinator
tel 01224 588900
e-mail ashley@prpartnership.co.uk Ashley@prpartnership.co.uk

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