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Call to Action for Suffolk Villages

Suffolk villages with an electorate of 500 and under are being called upon to enter the 2007 Calor Suffolk Village of the Year competition which is just getting underway.

The competition is organised by the Suffolk Association of Local Councils (SALC) with sponsorship from Calor – the UK’s leading supplier of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), and additional support from Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Suffolk County Council, the six district councils, Adnams and Notcutts.

Entrants are judged on six categories covering Community Life, Business, Young People, Older People, the Environment and Information Communication Technology (ICT). Initially, villages are asked to enter their district competition and there are prizes for the district winners. Winners from each district then go forward to the county semi-final round where the top three are selected for the final.

Competition co-ordinator Rona Burt is looking forward to a good response from villages this year. She commented: “Previous entrants are unanimous in telling me there have been benefits for the community as a result of taking part. Entering the competition is easy and provides an opportunity to audit services and activities, to bring people together in a celebration of all that’s happening as well as offering a chance to raise the profile of the community. Any organisation can enter on behalf of the village and I hope to see some new faces in 2007!”

Later in the year the overall winner in Suffolk 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, Stowupland, has already submitted its written entry and is now preparing for a visit from competition judges during April.

Entry forms have been distributed to Parish Clerks throughout the county. Further information regarding the competition is available from Rona Burt on 01638 712309, email ronabulldog@aol.com. The deadline for entries is April 5th and district judging will take place during June. The overall winner and Suffolk Village of the Year will be announced at the beginning of August, and a formal presentation event will take place later in the year.

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Further press information available from: Emma Flinn, Connectpoint, 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 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: 01962 629768, or visit: www.calorvillageoftheyear.org

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