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Call to Action for Durham Villages

Villages across Durham with a population of 5,000 and under are being reminded not to leave it too late if they want to enter the 2007 Calor Durham Village of the Year competition, with the deadline for entries coming up on Friday 29th June.

The competition is organised by Durham Rural Community Council (DRCC) with sponsorship provided by Calor – the UK’s leading supplier of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas). Entries are invited from any organisation within a village and categories cover four aspects of rural village life: People, Business, Environment, and Communications. Villages are also asked to explain in less than 500 words: ‘What makes your village a special place?’

Competition co-ordinator, Michelle O’Keefe commented: “I want to encourage as many villages as possible to get involved in this competition. 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.”

There are three cash prizes of £300, £200 and £100 on offer to successful villages. In addition, later in the year one village will have the added honour of being nominated to go forward and represent Durham 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, West Cornforth, has recently been visited by competition judges and will find out if it’s been awarded any prizes in the competition during October.

Entries to the Calor Durham Village of the Year competition are invited from all villages in Durham with a population of 5,000 and under. For further information and entry forms, please contact Michelle O’Keefe at DRCC on 01207 529621 or email michelle.okeefe@durhamrcc.org.uk. The deadline for entries is June 29 and judging will take place during July.

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 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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