Stop Press

Northumberland Villages are Called Upon to Enter Community Competition

Villages across Northumberland with a population of 5,000 and under are invited to enter the 2006 Calor Northumberland Building Community Life competition and celebrate why they are such great places to live.

The competition is being run in every county in England as part of the Calor Village of the Year® competition or as a stand alone competition thanks to support from Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). It is open to parish councils, village halls and community groups representing their village and there is £500 prize money on offer for successful villages.

Michelle O’Keefe, who is organising the competition on behalf of Northumberland Rural Community Council, commented: “Northumberland has so many fantastic places to live that we want to use this competition to raise the profile of villages with a strong sense of community. Entries are simple and it’s a great way to celebrate your community.”

The Building Community Life entry form consists of questions covering many aspects of a village’s community life. The entry questions are designed to be thought provoking and encourage applicants to think about their village. For many villages not all questions will be relevant and therefore it is not compulsory to answer all or any of these questions. Applicants are also encouraged to include any additional information that they feel more accurately represents their village.

Michelle added: “The competition will get residents working together and encourage them to look at how everyone within the community is being provided for. It’s an opportunity for them to celebrate all the positive aspects of life in their village and to address any issues or problems that become apparent following their involvement. One village from Northumberland will also have the added honour of being nominated to go forward and represent the county in the prestigious Calor Village of the Year® for England competition, with the opportunity of gaining recognition at national level as well as a share of the prize fund totalling more than £39,000.”

Entries to the competition are invited from all villages in Northumberland with a population of 5,000 and under. For further information please contact Michelle O’Keefe on 01207 529621, email admin1@durhamrcc.org.uk. The deadline for entries is June 30th and judging will take place during July.

- ends -

Further press information from: Emma Flinn, Flent PR, a Connectpoint Company
tel: 0161 817 4200 / email: emma.flinn@connectpoint.co.uk

Notes to Editors:

Calor Village of the Year®

Calor, the leading supplier of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) to those living and working in the countryside, has supported rural activities in England, Scotland and Wales for 20 years through its Rural Sponsorship programme, which includes the Calor Village of the Year® for England and Wales competitions and the Calor Scottish Community of the Year competition.

The Calor Village of the Year® for England competition, now in its tenth year, was founded and developed by Calor, and is organised and funded by the company on an annual basis.

Please note that Calor Village of the Year® is a registered trademark and should be referred to in full in all circumstances.

Entry to the Calor Village of the Year® for England competition is through the existing county competition network.

Following competition support in 2005, Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) is once again providing Calor with additional funding in 2006 to enhance the community life element of the competition through the Building Community Life category. Defra’s special aim is to encourage the inclusion of all groups and individuals into the fabric of rural community life - building cohesive and mutually supportive communities. Defra’s involvement means that every village in England has the opportunity to enter the 2006 Calor Village of the Year® for England competition.

The national Calor Village of the Year® judges look for well-balanced, pro-active, caring communities which, irrespective of size, have made the best of local opportunities to maintain and enhance the quality of life for all residents.

The prize money for the national Calor Village of the Year® for England competition alone stands at over £39,000. First prize is £7,000 with £2,000 going to each of five regional winners. In addition, there are five category prizes of £500 within each region (covering Business, Environment, Care for Older People, Care for Young People and Information Communications Technology), and a prize of £750 for the winner of the Building Community Life category in each of the five regions. The five regional winners of the Information Communication Technology category are judged to find an overall winner, the award for which is £1,000. There is also, thanks to the Defra support, a prize of £2,000 for an overall Building Community Life winner, which is selected from the five regional winners.

For general information on the Calor Village of the Year® for England and Wales competitions:
email: info@calorvillageoftheyear.org, tel: 01962 629768, or visit: www.calorvillageoftheyear.org

For more information on the Calor Scottish Community of the Year competition:
visit: www.communityoftheyear.co.uk

For more information on Defra:
visit: www.defra.gov.uk or for information specific to rural affairs visit: www.defra.gov.uk/rural/default.htm

Click here to download this press release in Word format