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Thurso Community Council Wins Award For Environment At Calor Scottish Community of the Year Awards
Pulteneytown People's Project receives commended awards at Calor Scottish Community of the Year Awards

Thurso Community Council has won the Environment category of the Calor Scottish Community of the Year Awards 2004, at a ceremony in Edinburgh.  Representatives of the Community received the award from HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, at the event held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC).

Commenting on Thurso's success, Gavin Tomlinson, Calor Scottish Community of the Year Manager said, "Thurso is a geographically remote community which has demonstrated tremendous self-reliance and community leadership.

Pulteneytown People's Project from Wick have been commended in the Business, Young People and Community Life categories of the Calor Scottish Community of the Year Awards 2004, at a ceremony in Edinburgh.

Commenting on Pulteneytown People's Project's success, Gavin Tomlinson, Calor Scottish Community of the Year Manager said, "The Project workers dedication and commitment to the project is clearly evident.

Nineteen short-listed communities attended the annual event, which this year attracted more than one hundred entries from communities spanning the length and breadth of Scotland. The ceremony was also captured on film as part of the six-part television series 'Rising to the Challenge', based on the awards.

Now in their seventh year, the awards encompass every aspect of Scottish life, providing communities with an opportunity to gain recognition and reward for their efforts. Their aim is to stimulate local people to take responsibility for their communities and enhance them for common good.

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

"The community-led initiatives in place, in particular the riverside walkway, coastal footpath development and the community's active
involvement in improving waste management amongst others, assures us we have a very worthy environment winner for 2004".

The Calor Scottish Community of the Year Awards were launched in 1998, and since then more than one third of all Scottish communities from the Borders to Shetland, and all the country's major urban areas have taken part.

The awards include environment, business, young people, old people, community life and community website. Judging the awards were representatives of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Business in the Community (SBC), the Association of Scottish Community Councils (ASCC) and The Robert Gordon University and a Community Information Officer for a local authority.