Kinloss
& Findhorn Community Web Association
presented with National Award at
Calor Scottish Community of the Year Awards
HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay today (November
26, 2004) presented the Kinloss and Findhorn Community Web
Association with the Calor Scottish Community of the Year,
Community Enhancement through the Internet Award 2004. The
association claimed the top Internet prize for its site
www.findhornbay.info.
The association was created in 1999 by a group of community
minded volunteers to provide a local forum and provide an
online point of contact for people interested in the Findhorn
and Kinloss area.
Representatives from the 19 shortlisted communities attended
the annual event, which this year attracted over 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.
In his capacity as judge of the award, Dr Douglas Cruickshank,
of The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, commented on
Kinloss & Findhorn’s success.
“The six finalists all demonstrated real community
focus,” said Doug. “Although sites need to be
easy to navigate we are not looking for clever design, the
emphasis of this award is firmly on how communities use
the Internet to help improve local communication and promote
community life.
“The Internet is having a profound effect on how
we locate information and a remarkable number of Scottish
communities are now capitalising upon the opportunities
it has to promote inclusion and provide a focal point for
local communication. The Kinloss & Findhorn site is
a prime example of how a community can make the Internet
work for its benefit.
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), a Community Information Officer for a local authority,
Association of Scottish Community Councils (ASCC) and The
Robert Gordon University.
For further information regarding the awards visit www.communityoftheyear.co.uk.
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