Press Archive

Is your Village Bursting with Pride? Has your Community got Something to be Proud About?

The annual Calor Cumbria Village of the Year Celebration launches on April 18th 2005, providing an opportunity to reflect upon and celebrate the community activities that have taken place in your village over the past year that help to maintain and promote rural life.

The Calor Cumbria Village of the Year Celebration encourages applicants to let other communities know how they achieved things, by asking them how they involved everyone in the community, how they obtained resources, how long it took to plan and complete and how they plan to keep the project going. Every entrant will be recognised for their achievements in the form of a plaque, and invited to the presentation ceremony on September 9th 2005. This year, there is a bonus incentive to join in the celebrations! After the closing date on 15th July 2005, ten applications will be chosen to receive £50.

This is thanks to support for the Celebrations from Defra, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Defra is providing additional funding in 2005 at both county and national levels to enhance the newly established Building Community Life category. One entrant from the Calor Village of the Year^® Celebrations will be chosen to represent Cumbria in the national Calor Village of the Year^® competition held in Autumn.

In the past eight years Cumbrian entrants have received regional and national awards on six occasions. Lorrainne Smyth from Voluntary Action Cumbria who organises this Calor sponsored celebration said: “We know communities all over Cumbria are engaged in excellent work on Parish Plans, Youth activities, Village Halls, Shop and local services projects and many other initiatives. This is an opportunity for the hard work involved to be recognised and celebrated.

The entry forms are simple, and the celebration event on the 9th September 2005, a friendly and informative experience.” Application forms can be obtained from the Voluntary Action Cumbria website www.ruralcumbria.org.uk or by telephoning 01768 242130. For information on the national Calor Village of the Year^® competition visit the website www.calorvillageoftheyear.org

Notes for editorial For more information contact Lorrainne Smyth on 01768 869522 or Carl Glynn on 01768 869525 Voluntary Action Cumbria is the Rural Community Council for the County of Cumbria. It is a registered charity (No 1080875) responsible for the delivery of a wide range of advice, information and support services to rural communities. It was established 54 years ago and is part of a national network of Rural Community Councils across rural England.

Voluntary Action Cumbria’s statement of purpose is:

• To promote, in co-operation with statutory authorities, voluntary organisations and where appropriate, private enterprise a complete range of services, particularly in rural areas.

• To enable local communities to develop new initiatives in response to social and economic change.

• To develop policies which favour disadvantaged groups in rural areas.

• To promote voluntary service for any charitable purposes for the benefit of the community

• To organise VAC efficiently and cost effectively.