Press Archive

2005 Surrey Village of the Year Competition

The 2005 Surrey Village of the Year competition has just been launched, and, with an enlarged prize fund for this year’s competition, there is even more incentive for the county’s villages to give it a go.

The competition in Surrey is being organised by Surrey Community Action. It is sponsored by Calor, the UK’s leading supplier of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The competition judges communities on six aspects of village life with categories in Building Community Life, Business, Young People, Older People, the Environment and, new for 2005, Information Communication Technology. The enlarged prize fund for the 2005 competition is thanks to competition support from Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), which is providing additional funding in 2005 at both county and national level. A prize of £250 is available for the overall winner across all the categories, with two additional prizes of £100 for outstanding merit or innovation.

An additional prize of £250 is available this year for the winner of the Building Community Life section, sponsored by Defra. The aim of this section is to recognise how villages are encouraging inclusion by all in rural community life. Prizes of £50 will be offered to five runners up. Jean Roberts-Jones, Chief Executive of Surrey Community Action is looking forward to a good response from villages to this year’s county competition: “The competition gets residents working together and encourages them to look at how everyone within the community is being provided for. Prizes aside, it’s an opportunity for them to celebrate all the positive aspects of life in their village and say ‘well done’ to the people that get community projects up and running.“

The deadline for applications is 16 May. Judging will take place over the summer, and all villages which enter will be invited to an award celebration in late September. The Parish Council does not have to take the lead in entering, it could be the WI, church, shop or pub.

Later in the year, the overall winner and Surrey Village of the Year will have the opportunity to go forward and represent the county in the prestigious national English Calor Village of the Year^® competition. Thanks to Defra’s involvement, 2005 marks the first year in the competition’s history that every village in England has the opportunity to enter the English Calor Village of the Year^® competition, which this year has a prize fund of over £36,000. “I would urge Surrey’s villages to take the plunge and give the county competition a go. It would be great if this year’s entrant could gain an overall regional title, or even become the Calor Village of the Year^® for the whole of England! This is a competition that’s all about community and I can’t stress enough what a positive experience it can be for the villages taking part”, added Jean Roberts-Jones.

Entry forms have been sent out to Parish Clerks and other village organisations throughout the county.

Further information regarding the competition is available from Jean Roberts-Jones on 01483 459292 ext 200 or email jeanr@surreyca.org.uk

Surrey Community Action is resourcing the voluntary and community sector across Surrey through access to advice, training, funding and advocacy. Ends Contact: Jean Roberts-Jones, Chief Executive, Surrey Community Action, Astolat, Coniers Way, Burpham, Guildford, Surrey GU4 7HL. Tel 01483 4549292 ext 200 email jeanr@surreyca.org.uk