43 Bucks Villages Battle in Best Kept Competition

A total of 43 villages are competing in the 2006 Buckinghamshire Best Kept Village competition, organised by the Bucks Association of Local Councils (BALC), and now wait in anticipation as judging takes place during May, June and July.

The competition is sponsored by Calor – the UK’s leading supplier of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), with additional support from Bucks County Council, Milton Keynes Council and the District Councils from Aylesbury Vale, Chiltern, South Bucks and Wycombe. It focuses on the community spirit highlighted through a village’s well-kept environment, and celebrates communities pulling together for the benefit of all residents.

The following villages and towns are taking part:

Bradenham, Buckingham, Castlethorpe, Chalfont St Giles, Chalfont St Peter, Cheddington, Chenies, Coleshill, Cuddington, Downley, Frieth, Fulmer, Great Brickhill, Haddenham, Halton, Hazlemere, Hedgerley, Holmer Green, Hyde Heath, Little Kingshill, Little Marlow, Little Missenden, Marlow, Marsh Gibbon, Monks Risborough, Mursley, North Crawley, Olney, Padbury, Princes Risborough, Seer Green, Steeple Claydon, Stewkley, Stoke Goldington, Stoke Mandeville, Stokenchuch, Stone, Swanbourne, Tingewick, Waddesdon, Weston Underwood, Wing and Woburn Sands.

Competition chairman, Richard Pushman, commented: “We are extremely pleased with the response to the Best Kept Village competition we’ve had this year. Standards are always very good from Buckinghamshire’s villages and we are sure this year will be no exception. It’s also refreshing to see a number of villages competing either for the first time, or that haven’t taken part for a long time. I hope that even more villages will be encouraged to participate next year.”

The winning communities in the Best Kept Village competition will be presented with their prizes at a series of village based events taking place on September 16 th. The newly appointed Lord Lieutenant, Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, will be presenting the awards.

Richard Pushman added: “We also want to remind villages that the deadline for the Buckinghamshire Village of the Year competition is approaching fast on May 31 st. This is a very different competition to the Best Kept Village event, judging communities of 6,000 residents and under on six key aspects of village life: Building Community Life, Business, Young People, Older People, Environment and Information Communication Technology (ICT). There are more prizes on offer for the winners of this competition, including £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 ) for this category at both county and national level. In addition, the overall winning village in the Village 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 £ 39,000 prize fund. Time is running out to enter, but if villages act now they do still have a chance,”

Further information regarding the competitions is available from the Bucks Association of Local Councils by email at balc@buckscc.gov.uk , or by telephoning 01296 383154.

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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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