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Last Opportunity to 'Love Your Village' in 2007

Time is running out for Hampshire villages that wish to enter the 2007 ‘Love Your Village’ Calor Hampshire Village of the Year competition with the deadline for entries approaching. Information about the competition went out to villages back in January encouraging them to enter and they have until 23rd April to send their entries in.

The competition is open to all villages in Hampshire and is organised by the Hampshire Association of Parish and Town Councils (HAPTC), with sponsorship from Calor – the UK’s leading supplier of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas). Entry forms are available to download from www.haptc.org or can be requested from the competition coordinator Steven Lugg at St Thomas’ Centre, 20 Southgate Street, Winchester SO23 9EF.

Steven Lugg commented: “I want to encourage as many villages as possible to get involved this year, particularly those that haven’t taken part in the competition before. We’re not looking for ‘perfect’ villages so don’t be afraid to have a go. Entering the competition can be a very positive activity for a community because often villages don’t realise just how much they’ve got going on until they actually collect the information together! The closing date is approaching, but there is still plenty of time for villages to enter if they act now.”

Entries are invited from any organisation within a village and entrants are judged on six categories covering Community Life, Business, Young People, Older People, the Environment and Information Communication Technology (ICT). There is a £300 prize on offer for the overall winning community along with a cast iron plaque which can be displayed in the village. In addition to the main competition, there is also a ‘Best in District or Borough’ category, which is so far being supported by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, East Hampshire District Council, Winchester City Council and Test Valley Borough Council.

Later in the year the overall winner in Hampshire 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 2007/8. This will give them the opportunity of gaining recognition at national level as well as a share of a prize fund totalling more than £36,000. The county’s nominee to the 2006/7 national competition, the East Hampshire village of Selborne, has already submitted its written entry and is now preparing for an imminent visit from competition judges.

For further information regarding the 2007 ‘Love Your Village’ Calor Hampshire Village of the Year competition and entry forms please contact Steven Lugg on 01962 841699, email steven.lugg@hants.gov.uk or visit www.haptc.org.

For general information about Calor Village of the Year® visit www.calorvillageoftheyear.org.

Ends

Further press information available from: Emma Flinn, Connectpoint, tel: 0161 817 4221, 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 competition.

The Calor Village of the Year® for England competition, now in its eleventh 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. Every year, Calor sponsors the majority of the county village competitions – which this year total more than 40 – each of which is invited to nominate one village to take part in the 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 2007 national Calor Village of the Year® for England competition alone stands at over £36,000. 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 support from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 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 competition:
email: info@calorvillageoftheyear.org, tel: 01926 318404, or visit: www.calorvillageoftheyear.org

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