< Previous...Helping our Young People

Next...Part of the Rural Landscape >

Calor is committed to contributing to the communities we serve. We are focused on building long standing relationships with relevant organisations and providing real support to make a difference. Initiatives such as Calor Village of the Year, Calor Scottish Community of the Year and our work with BITC, Rural Revival, The Fairyland Trust and Childline, have boosted communities and local businesses and contributed hundreds of thousands of pounds to local projects.

All these initiatives demonstrate our proven commitment to building and sustaining local communities, facilities, businesses and quality of life, particularly in rural areas. Common to all of the examples of our activity outlined below, is our continued engagement with key stakeholders and community groups.

The Calor Village of the Year competition celebrates and rewards those villages making a contribution to community life and encouraging rural sustainability. This is not a standard sponsorship vehicle, as the competition was created and is administered by, Calor. The initiative provides a substantial prize fund of over £42,000 at national level, with additional prizes in over 43 county competitions. This has been further reinforced by contributions from DEFRA.

Calor Village of the Year is not about pretty window boxes and the village green. The entry categories cover a variety of community issues – the village's young people, the environment, local economy, IT issues, the elderly and the community itself.

Around 1,650 villages enter the competition each year and the scheme not only galvanises local people into supporting the best in their communities, it also produces real benefits from people working together to engender a real sense of community spirit. Calor Village of the Year has attracted the direct support of HRH The Prince of Wales. Past presenters at the awards have included the Prince himself, HRH The Princess Royal, John Humphrys, Jonathon Porritt, Alan Titchmarsh, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and a succession of Government ministers.

Calor Scottish Community of the Year similarly rewards sustainability and community spirit in Scotland, from distant islands to inner city locations and has been supported by HRH The Duke of Rothesay. In 2005 the Calor Welsh Village of the Year initiative was launched.

Further information can be found at www.calorvillageoftheyear.org, and www.communityoftheyear.org.uk

In 2005, Calor launched its Gift of the Gas campaign, with two major initiatives to benefit those who need support from ChildLine, the UK’s free, 24-hour helpline for children in danger or distress.

Firstly, the company pledged to contribute £5 to the charity for every redundant Calor cylinder returned to the company’s local sites.

Secondly, Calor’s campaign encouraged families and communities across the UK to hold charity barbecues to raise further funds, bringing friends, families and communities together to enjoy each other’s company in a good cause. Launched by Philip Schofield, the national barbecue initiative was also supported by celebrity chefs Brian Turner and Gary Rhodes, who created barbecue menus for the campaign to encourage participation.

By the end of 2005, over £50,000 had been raised from returned gas cylinders and barbecue events held during the summer season.

The Gift of the Gas Appeal has enabled ChildLine to recruit and train more volunteer counsellors to provide comfort, advice and protection to the thousands of children calling the charity every day.

Calor is committed to continuing its support for ChildLine’s vital work, into the future.