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Call to Action for Oxfordshire Villages

Villages and hamlets throughout Oxfordshire that have not yet entered the 2006 Calor Oxfordshire Villages of the Year competition are being reminded not to leave it too late if they want to take part. The competition launched back in January and with the closing date coming up on June 30th, communities have just a few more weeks to get their entries in.

The competition is organised by Oxfordshire Rural Community Council (ORCC) and sponsored by Calor. Whilst the deadline for the newly launched Best Kept Village Environment Award has passed, communities can still take part in the main competition which judges communities on six other categories covering Building Community Life, Business, Young People, Older People, Affordable Housing and Information Communication Technology (ICT).

Competition organisers on behalf of ORCC commented: “We’ve had a good response from communities so far but taking part in the competition can be such a positive activity for villages that we want as many as possible to benefit from entering. The competition can bring communities together and is a great way of celebrating all that is great in a village whilst at the same time looking at ways of improving life for residents. The closing date is approaching, but there is still time to get an entry in if villages act now.”

All villages and hamlets are eligible to enter the Oxfordshire Villages of the Year competition and entries are invited from any community organisation. Prizes are on offer to the winning villages, including £250 from Oxfordshire Rural Housing Partnership, and £500 prize money specifically for the Building Community Life category, which has been made available thanks to continued competition support from Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) at both county and national level.

In addition, the overall winning village of the 2006 Oxfordshire Villages of the Year competition will 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.

For further information regarding the competition and entry forms, please contact Oxfordshire Rural Community Council on 01865 883488, email orcc@oxonrcc.org.uk. The deadline for entries is June 30th with judging taking place during July and August.

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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

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