Categories

The Calor Village Of The Year® for Northern Ireland competition is looking for communities which have made the best of local opportunities to enhance the quality of life for the people who live there. It will assess what a community does rather than what it has. There are five categories which are based on five major aspects of village life.

Building Community Life

This year we have combined Community Life and Communications into one overall category – Building Community Life, as we recognize that communications are strongly inter-linked into the development of community life in any village or rural settlement.

This category looks at the process of creating and developing Community Life. This can range from the activities and facilities that are available for people in the village to the way newcomers are treated and how those who are in need are supported. Also taken into account are how information about issues that affect the community is communicated and the various media used by communities to communicate information locally and further afield.

Business

This category looks at the part local businesses play in the life of a village, e.g. in which ways do local businesses support community life? What are the job opportunities for local villagers? It also looks at the role of community businesses and the benefits provided to residents through their existence.

Young people

Young people are the future of village life and this category looks at what facilities, services and activities are available for them from the very youngest residents to teenagers and young adults. Another aspect of the judging for this section takes into account how young people are encouraged to get involved in decision making bodies and how their needs are addressed.

Older people, people with limited mobility or suffering from isolation

Young people may be the future of village life but older people have spent their lives in a village helping to maintain it. How are they catered for in their later years? What is available in terms of facilities for senior citizens? How are they encouraged to get involved and included in village life? Also, what provision is made for those with limited mobility and how does your community adapt to provide for their needs.

Environment

This category takes into account environmental and conservation activities that take place in a community, from litter collection and recycling through to wildlife and sustainability. It focuses on how villagers are encouraged to become involved in these initiatives.