Stop Press

Nine villages to face judges in the battle to become Scottish Calor Village of the Year.

Nine villages have been successfully short-listed in the Scottish Calor Village of the Year Competition 2009, and will go forward to present in front of a panel of judges later this month.

Villages from the North, South and Central regions will battle it out for the chance to win a jackpot of £9,000 for community investment.  Representatives from each community will attend a presentation day in Stirling (June 23rd or 24th), where they will appear before a panel of judges including representatives from The ASCC (Association of Scottish Community Councils) and The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisation (SCVO) Rural Team, to demonstrate why they are a potential regional and national winner.

The shortlist:

North region:            Glenlivet and Inveravon
                                    Glenfarg
                                    Isle of Eigg

Central region:         Arrochar and Tarbet
                                    Falkland
                                    Cardross

South region:           Forth
                                    Muirkirk
                                    Longriggend

Organised by Calor Scotland, with support from the Association of Scottish Community Councils, (ASCC) and The SCVO’s Rural Team, the awards are designed to allow Scotland’s rural communities to promote their success and achievements, share best community practice and demonstrate initiatives towards sustainability. Communities will be judged on four categories this year; people, business, sustainability and communication.

 “This year the awards have yet again generated a great response from villages keen to demonstrate their achievements,” says Stephen Rennie, MD for Calor.  “Hearing about the efforts of volunteers to sustain and develop their communities is always humbling and the judges had a particularly difficult task in narrowing down a shortlist.  The nine villages which have made it onto the judge’s shortlist should feel immensely proud of their achievements and we are looking forward to hearing more about each village.”

“Villages that have not been shortlisted should also be equally proud of their achievements as the standard of entry was particularly high this year and it should not deter them from entry again next year.”

Regional winners will be announced in late June following the panel judging.  The winner from each region will receive a cheque for £2,000 and a commemorative plaque, presented to them during the community judging visits on August 19th, 20th and 21st.  The judges’ visits will determine the overall Scottish Calor Village of the Year, which will receive a further £7,000 for community investment, a commemorative plaque and a community celebration in September.  The winner will be announced in late August.

• For more information on the Scottish Calor Village of the Year 2009 competition, contact Lynsey Shepherd on 01224 217345 or email info@calorvoy.org.uk

• For further information on Calor and its sustainability commitment visit www.calor.co.uk

June 08, 2009                                                                                                                  ENDS

Notes to Editors:
Scottish Calor Village of the Year®

The Scottish Calor Village of the Year® competition is open to rural communities throughout Scotland with a population of 5,000 or under. Entry is open to all community bodies if they are in line with the following criteria:

• A ‘not-for-profit’ local organisation or trust set up to improve the social, economic or environmental health of the local community
• A strong emphasis on the involvement of local individuals or groups active within the community
• Partnerships, networks or forums acting within a localised community

Calor, the leading supplier of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) to those living and working in the countryside, has supported rural activities throughout the UK for 22 years through its Rural Sponsorship programme, which includes the Scottish Calor Village of the Year® competition. Please note that Calor Village of the Year® is a registered trademark and should be referred to in full in all circumstances.

ASCC
The Association of Scottish Community Councils (ASCC) is a national membership organisation, which was formed in 1993 as a representative association for Scotland’s community councils. It has worked with Calor on rural sponsorship programmes since 1998.

The objectives of the association are to:

• Actively promote the role, effectiveness and status of community councils in Scotland.
• Establish, co-ordinate and express the views of member community councils.
• Provide a forum for the exchange of information between community councils.

The Association aims to assist and support community councils and to help them represent their communities effectively, based on information and shared experience.
Further information can be found at www.ascc.org.uk

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisation (SCVO) Rural Team
The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisation's Rural Team has responsibility for content management of the Scotland National Rural Network website, delivery of the Rural Direct service helping communities to access funding and providing policy and information support for the voluntary sector in rural Scotland. You can find the Rural Network website at www.ruralgateway.org.uk.

ISSUED ON BEHALF OF CALOR VILLAGE OF THE YEAR BY AVC CREATIVE LTD

Please click here to download this as a word document.