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Call to Action for Buckinghamshire Villages

Buckinghamshire Villages are being called to action with the launch of the 2007 Best Kept Village and Calor Village of the Year competitions.

Entry forms for both competitions are now available and can be requested from competition organisers, the Bucks Association of Local Councils (BALC). Sponsorship is provided by Calor – the UK’s leading supplier of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), with additional support from Milton Keynes Council and the District Councils from Aylesbury Vale, Chiltern, South Bucks and Wycombe.

The Buckinghamshire Best Kept Village competition focuses on the community spirit highlighted through a village’s well-kept environment, and celebrates communities pulling together for the benefit of all residents. This competition is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, having been launched back in 1957 when the villages of Prestwood and Weston Underwood triumphed.

The Calor Buckinghamshire Village of the Year competition, which is open to villages with a population of 6,000 and under, is looking for well-balanced, pro-active, caring communities that have made the best of local opportunities to maintain and enhance the quality of life for all residents. Entrants are judged on a total of six categories, covering Community Life, Business, Young People, Older People, Environment and Information Communication Technology (ICT). Later in the year, one village will have the added honour of being nominated to go forward and represent their 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, Downley, has already submitted its written entry and is now preparing for a visit from competition judges during April.

Competition chairman, Richard Pushman hopes that as many villages as possible will take part in either or both competitions this year. He commented: “Taking part in either competition is a wonderful way of celebrating and promoting your community. The competitions bring communities together and get residents working towards a common goal. Throughout the competitions’ history, the standard of entries has always been very high, and I would encourage as many of Buckinghamshire’s villages to get involved during 2007 so that they can gain recognition for their hard work.”

Further information regarding the competitions is available from the Bucks Association of Local Councils by email at balc@buckscc.gov.uk, or by telephoning 01296 383154. The deadline for Best Kept Village entries is April 30 2007 and judging will take place during June. Village of the Year entries must be submitted by 31 May 2007 and these will be judged in July. Presentation events for the winners of both competitions will be held later in the year.

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

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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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