Press Archive

Kilwinning Community Sports Club wins Younger People category at Calor Scottish Community of the Year Awards

Kilwinning Community Sports Club has won the Younger People category of the Calor Scottish Community of the Year Awards 2005.

Representatives of the North Ayrshire club received the accolade from Communities Minister, Malcolm Chisholm MSP, at a ceremony held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) today, Thursday 8 December.
In total twenty-six shortlisted 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.

In determining the outcome of the awards, the judges sought best practices within community groups, which could be used as examples for others throughout Scotland.

Commenting on the club’s success, Hamish Husband, Calor Scottish Community of the Year Manager said, “Kilwinning Community Sports Club is a fantastic community led initiative which provides a wide range of sporting opportunities for children and young people.

“In particular the judges were impressed with the club’s resourceful equipment loan scheme, including everything from balls and netting to footwear and personal clothing, which allows younger people to try out new sports without the financial outlay that can often make them prohibitive.

“Equally impressive is the opportunities afforded to younger people in gaining work experience, employment and the ability to work towards coaching qualifications. Kilwinning Community Sports Club, with its voluntary management group, has left us in no doubt that it is a very worthy winner of this category and an inspiration to others.”

In addition to winning the younger people category, the club also picked up the Scottish Business in the Community Award.

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

ISSUED ON BEHALF OF CALOR SCOTLAND BY THE PR PARTNERSHIP (SCOTLAND) LTD
BON ACCORD HOUSE, RIVERSIDE DRIVE, ABERDEEN AB11 7SL TEL: 01224 588900 FAX 01224 588200