THE search is on for North Lanarkshire’s best village. Communities in North Lanarkshire have until June 30 to register and submit their entries to the Scottish Calor Village of the Year Awards, which feature a category specifically for Central Scotland villages and small towns with populations of fewer than 5000. The new competition was launched at the end of February at the Scottish Parliament and communities from throughout Scotland have already registered their interest and many have submitted completed entries. One Central Scotland community will win £1000 and go forward to compete against three other villages or small towns from other parts of Scotland to win the title of Scottish Calor Village of the Year 2008 and receive a further £3000. Calor Village of the Year manager Suzanne Weir said: “The new awards present central communities with an even better chance than before, as there is a specific category for communities in Central Scotland to enter and there will definitely be a winner from that area. “The category is open to any Scottish community in Central Scotland with a population of fewer than 5000.” The awards have been organised by Calor Scotland, along with support from the Association of Scottish Community Councils (ASCC) and Rural Gateway. The revitalised competition builds on the success of the former Calor Community of the Year Awards programme and is designed to bring members of communities together to celebrate their diversity and achievements. The competition assesses communities on four aspects of village life: People, the Environment, Business and Communications. “The competition is not about beautification, but instead focuses on sustaining Scotland’s rural communities,” said Suzanne. The deadline for submission of awards entries has been extended at the request of the ASCC to June 30 to allow more communities to participate. More information about the awards, along with the entry form, can be found at www.villageoftheyear.org/scotland. | 
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