Press Archive

Scottish community awards announce new alliance at launch of 2005 competition

The prestigious Calor Scottish Community of the Year Awards has unveiled a new partnership at their launch today, Tuesday 5 April, in Glasgow.

Craig McLaren, director of Communities Scotland's Scottish Centre for Regeneration and Hamish Husband, Calor Scottish Community of the Year Awards Manager at the launch of the 2005 awards.
The annual awards, which last year were the focal point of the television series 'Rising to the Challenge' and attended by HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, have announced their association with Communities Scotland; the Scottish Executive's housing and regeneration agency.

In doing so it is hoped the awards, which recognise and reward the efforts made by community groups to improve their areas for the common good, will become more accessible to both urban and rural community groups throughout Scotland.

In supporting the awards Communities Scotland will also sponsor and provide a judge for the Community Life category.

Commenting on Communities Scotland's involvement, Craig McLaren, director of its Scottish Centre for Regeneration said:

" We are pleased to be supporting the Calor Community of the Year awards. They are an excellent way of recognising how communities can work to improve the place where they live and the difference that people can make to their own neighbourhood. They also provide a platform for communities to show how they have done this and so allow others to learn from, and hopefully, build on this."

Hamish Husband, Calor Scottish Community of the Year Awards Manager said,

"We are delighted to have gained acknowledgement and backing from Communities Scotland and look forward to working alongside them.

"The awards are now in their eighth year and it has been fantastic to watch them continue to develop and improve. Each year we receive hundreds of entries from communities the length and breadth of the country, the diversity can be quite astounding yet they all share the same goals.

"These awards have been created to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of normal folk who want to improve their everyday life. "

Giving Scottish communities the opportunity to both highlight and enhance their efforts, the awards have a prize fund in excess of £5000 and are supported by Calor Scotland in association with Communities Scotland and are 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).

Open to all properly constituted community groups, with category winner prizes of £500 and highly commended prizes of £250, the awards consist of five categories; business, environment, older people, younger people and community life; with an additional website award. Communities are free to enter as many categories as they wish.

In 2005 the judges will be looking for well-balanced, proactive, caring communities, which irrespective of size, have made the best of local opportunities to maintain and enhance the quality of life for all. In particular the judges will be looking for evidence that activities have been community driven rather than led by outside agencies or processes.

Last year's overall winners, the Isle of Whithorn, were presented with their awards by HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, at a ceremony held in Edinburgh, having won both the business and younger people categories. The community were also commended in older people and community life categories.

The judging panel had been particularly impressed with the Isle of Whithorn's proactive and imaginative efforts to make the community work for everyone, as well as the infrastructure, training and support offered by local business. Whilst the regeneration initiatives put in place had been sensitive to the area and incorporated the input of the younger generation.

Entry packs will be sent out to representatives from all the officially recognised Community Councils in Scotland and Communities Scotland offices. Online entry is available at www.communityoftheyear.org.uk. Entry for the Community Enhancement through the Internet award is only available online.

If you require a pack or would like some more information about the awards, please contact Ashley Ross, Awards Co-ordinator on 01224 588900. The closing date for completed entries is June 30th 2005.

April 6, 2005

For further information contact:

Ashley Ross
Awards Co-ordinator
tel 01224 588900
e-mail ashley@prpartnership.co.uk

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