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A Chance for Villages to Shine

Judges currently doing the rounds in the 2007 Best Village competition for Leicestershire and Rutland, organised by the Rural Community Council (Leicestershire and Rutland) and sponsored by Calor, are looking for villages where the community not only takes a pride in itself but also takes care of the people who live there.

The villages ready for inspection are: Greetham, Woodhouse & Woodhouse Eaves, Seagrave, Thurnby, Goadby Marwood, Diseworth, Markfield, Barrow upon Soar, Great Easton and Willoughby Waterleys; with some communities entering just their Village Halls for inspection in Thurnby & Bushby, Thornton, Thurcaston and Sharnford.

Each community entering the Best Village competition will be judged on two of the following categories of their choice:

Building Community Life

Villages need to demonstrate projects for all ages, with a variety of events clubs and societies on offer. Socially inclusive, these are vibrant communities with lots going on for all ages.
Col John Heggs Best Village Hall
Covers the best provision of a facility for the community, where there is good accommodation for events and clubs and a variety of bookings. Also looking for halls where care is taken with health and safety procedures; first aid provision is good; there is storage for equipment; kitchen facilities; and compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act.

Village Venture

Any project that has been undertaken in the last two years to benefit the community can be rewarded, for example environmental projects, provision of play areas, enhancements to village facilities (village hall or church improvements), a village event, entertainment or production (play or pantomime).
Use of Information Technology
Rewards the best use of information technology in the community, taking into account web pages that provide a variety of information; use of wireless technology; and provision of shared community facilities.

Business

This category rewards businesses that make a positive difference to community life, and work together with residents to improve the quality of life in the community, for example shops, Post Office, pubs, manufacturing, quarrying, farming, home working and teleworking.

All villages have been informed of the date and time of their judging visit in advance so they can have representatives on hand to meet the three-man team and answer their questions. The Rural Community Council has given the judges special training before they go out to judge - they have been shown how to spot an active community; how to look for activities within it; and for evidence of good, well used community facilities.

Competition organiser, Diana Cook commented: “As well as villages that take a pride in looking after their public places, the judges will be looking for those that make the most of their opportunities to improve the lives of anyone who lives there.”

All villages that have entered the competition this year are invited to go along to Beaumanor Hall, Old Woodhouse on Sunday 9th September to enjoy the grounds and bring along a picnic before finding out if their village is among the prize winners.

Later in the year, two villages – one representing Leicestershire and one representing Rutland, will have the added honour of being nominated to go forward and represent their counties 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 nominees to the 2006/7 national competition, Ashby Parva and Greetham, have already been visited by competition judges and will find out if they’ve been awarded any prizes in the competition during October.

Information about the Leicestershire and Rutland Best Village competition and the presentation on September 9 is available from the Leicester and Rutland Rural Community Council on at www.ruralcc.org.uk, telephone 0116 268 9706, or email dcook@ruralcc.org.uk.

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:

Rural Community Council (Leicestershire & Rutland)

The Rural Community Council (www.ruralcc.org.uk) is a registered charity that provides advice, information and practical assistance to all those who live, work and play in the rural areas of Leicestershire and Rutland by:

• Offering advice and information on social, environmental, planning and funding issues.

• Promoting and supporting community development and self-help through Parish Plans, Village Appraisals and Village Design Statements.

• Administering grant schemes and giving funding advice.

• Organising competitions to encourage villages to undertake new projects and maximise use of existing services and facilities.

• Monitoring the effects of key policy changes on rural areas.

• Servicing other organisations such as the Leicestershire & Rutland Playing Fields Association.

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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