Calor Scottish Community of the Year Awards 2006
Press Release

Muirkirk Commended at Calor Scottish Community of the Year Awards

Muirkirk Enterprise Group has been commended in the communications category of the Calor Scottish Community of the Year awards 2006.

Representatives of Muirkirk, received the award from Communities Minister, Malcolm Chisholm MSP, at a ceremony held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC), today, Tuesday 21 November.

With the demise of the coal industry, the village suffered a drop in population and closure of local businesses. The community received the commended award in the communications category for the continued effort to bring the community together and promote tourism with the innovative village audio tour, fortnightly newsletters and recently developed website, www.muirkirk.org.uk.

In total, nineteen shortlisted communities attended the annual event, which this year attracted more than one hundred entries from communities spanning the length and breadth of Scotland.

Now in its ninth year, the awards encompass every aspect of Scottish community life, providing community groups with the opportunity to gain recognition and reward for their efforts. Their aim is to stimulate local people of all ages to take responsibility for their community and enhance it to everyone's benefit.

In determining the outcome of the awards, the judges sought the best practises within communities, which could be used as examples throughout Scotland.

Commenting on the community's success, Hamish Husband, Calor Scottish Community of the Year Manager said: "The community is providing good up to date information in imaginative forms for residents and visitors".

The awards are organised by Scotland in association with Communities Scotland and supported by the Association of Scottish Community Councils (ASCC), The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Scottish Business in the Community (SBC).

Since the launch of the Calor Scottish Community of the Year Awards in 1998 more than a third of all Scottish communities, from the Borders to Shetland, have taken part - including all the country's major urban areas.

The categories within the awards are: environment, business, communications and people. Judging the awards were representatives of Communities Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), the Association of Scottish Community Councils (ASCC), Scottish Business in the Community and a Community Council Support Officer.