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Buckinghamshire Top Villages Revealed

The winning villages in the 2007 Buckinghamshire Best Kept Village and Calor Village of the Year competitions, organised by the Bucks Association of Local Councils (BALC), have been revealed.

The competitions are sponsored by Calor - the UK's leading supplier of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), with additional support from Milton Keynes Council, Bucks County Council and the District Councils from Aylesbury Vale, Chiltern, South Bucks and Wycombe.

In the Best Kept Village competition the winners are -

Gurney Cup Winner Chenies Runners-up Little Marlow

(population up to 500) Weedon

Weston Underwood

Morris Cup Winner Hyde Heath Runners-up Cuddington

(population 500 - 1500) Marsh Gibbon

DeFraine Cup Winner Steeple Runner-up Woburn Sands

(population 1500 - 3000) Claydon

Michaelis Cup Winner Marlow Runner-up Buckingham

(urban population over 3000)

Pushman Cup Winner Haddenham Runner-up Chalfont St Peter

(rural population over 3000)

Tindall Cup Winner Olney Runner-up Great Brickhill

(2006 cup winners)

Sword of Excellence Marlow

(for the winner with the highest marks)

Dashwood Trophy Marsh Gibbon

(for the best runner-up)

Competition chairman, Richard Pushman commented : "There were excellent standards throughout the competing villages this year, and the judges were very impressed with the

general standard.  The marking was particularly close for the smaller villages with three villages placed as runners-up in the Gurney Cup."

In the Calor Buckinghamshire Village of the Year competition, which judged communities of 6,000 and under on a total of six categories covering Community Life, Business, Young People, Older People, Environment and Information Communication Technology (ICT), the results are as follows -

Smaller villages Winner Cheddington

Runner-up Stewkley

Larger villages Winner Stokenchurch

Runner-up Great Kingshill

The village of Cheddington also has the added honour of being selected 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.

Richard Pushman added: "All the entries in the Calor Village of the Year competition displayed much evidence of good village life with numerous activities and community participation. In particular, Cheddington was highlighted for its youth involvement in village life and the wide range of activities and facilities it has on offer for everyone in the village."

For further information regarding the Calor Buckinghamshire Village of the Year competition, please contact the Bucks Association of Local Councils by email at balc@buckscc.gov.uk , or by telephoning 01296 383154.

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 to 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 or visit: www.calorvillageoftheyear.org

For all media enquiries relating the Calor Village of the Year® competition, please contact Emma Flinn:
email: emma.flinn@connectpoint.co.uk or tel: 0161 817 4221

For all general enquiries relating to the Calor Village of the Year® competition, please contact Brian Challis: email: b.challis@ntlworld.com or tel: 01962 629768

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