Village of the Year competition launched

Competition launched at Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Calor Village of the Year awards were launched at a Scottish Parliament reception today, February 20, 2008.

The awards have been designed to allow Scotland’s rural communities to promote their success, and share best practice. Communities will be judged on four categories; people, business, environment and communication. The awards are organised by Calor Scotland with support from the Association of Scottish Community Councils (ASCC) and Rural Gateway.

“These new awards are about sustaining Scotland’s rural communities,” said Cathy Peattie MSP at the awards launch. “The awards take in much more than just presentation. They focus on how the people in rural communities can work together to make the places they live in the best they can be for everyone.”

Every rural community in Scotland with a population of less than 5,000 is eligible to enter the awards and the organisers are hoping that communities from throughout the country will take part.

“There are four regional awards and one national award,” explains Calor Scotland’s Public Affairs Manager Andrew Ford. “The idea is that the awards will inspire, local, regional and national pride and provide communities with the chance to highlight best community practice and share their ideas and successes with one another.

“Calor has been a part of Scottish rural life for more than 70 years, providing gas for heating, hot water, cooking, industrial and leisure activities and we believe in playing an active role in the communities we serve.

“Scotland’s rural communities have a wealth of diversity and the work done to sustain and develop them often goes unrecognised. The Scottish Calor Village of the Year competition is designed to encourage communities to highlight what they do for the people that live in and visit their small rural towns and villages.”

The awards’ four categories have been carefully chosen to reflect important aspects of community life. The people category looks at how different generations and other groups within the population, work together to help each other and provide suitable facilities and activities to help sustain the community. The environment category addresses what communities are doing to help protect and improve the local and global environment and any conservation activities that are being undertaken. The business category looks at how local businesses and the population interact to support one another and sustain the community. The Communication category is designed to examine what is done to promote inclusion and ensure that people know what is happening in the community and how they can participate.

The Scottish Calor Village of the Year Awards feature a £7,000 prize fund. Cash prizes of £1,000 for community investment will be awarded to each of the four regional winners with an additional prize of £3,000 for the overall Scottish winner.

Entry to the awards can be made by representatives of any not for profit local community body, including community councils, community associations, village hall committees and local networks, partnerships or forums, which represent their local communities. Entry to the competition is by completion of an online questionnaire and submission of up to 500 words explaining ‘What makes your rural community a special place?’

People interested in entering their community for the awards can register online by visiting the competition website at www.calorvillageoftheyear.org/scotland. The closing date for entries is May 30, 2008 and judging will take place during the summer.

Ends

February 20, 2008

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