Paul is Antrim nominee for Calor Community Champion

Following several weeks of intense nominating, the company have received entries from every corner of Antrim and Paul Kerrigan from Ballycastle has been shortlisted as the Antrim nominee for the Community Champion initiative.

Paul established in Ballycastle Community Development Group, which has ensured that the local youth club remains open through the fundraising efforts of the Youthlinks regeneration fund.

He also spearheaded first community festival in the town as part of the Olympic torch relay in the area. The main focus of the Group has been to work with disadvantaged youths and those on the fringes of crime to get them involved in community work.

It is time to support your county man and to show true community spirit, so support Paul to help him be in with a chance to be crowned Community Champion 2012 and make Antrim the home of this year’s inaugural winner of the competition. The winner of the Calor Community Champion 2012 will receive £1,200 and a bursary of £6,000 to give to their nominated charity or local organisation. Calor is even throwing in £400 for the person or organisation that nominated them.

Voting is now open to each and every member of the public through the Calor Facebook page. To support your local hero, Paul Kerrigan and play your part in helping him to be recognised as the first Calor Community Champion could not be easier, visit our Gallery of Nominees to see who is representing your county, read about the organisation they have selected to receive the prize and their ‘pitch’ for your vote at www.facebook.com/calorireland. The public will have till August 20th to vote for their favourite and the top four local champions and two wildcards will make it through to the final phase.

Speaking at the shortlist announcement, Hector Ó hEochagáin, TV personality and head of the Judging Panel said, “We asked for nominations from every corner and boreen on the island and you have not disappointed! All of us on the judging panel have been heartened by the stories of unseen work going on across our local communities. This initiative has been a platform to shed light on these truly deserving people, like Paul Kerrigan here in Antrim. We now have a gallery of what can only be described as real life community heroes. Now it is time to see what each county is truly made of and who the best supporters are, so visit the Gallery of Nominees and get voting today!”

Jennifer Fagan, Marketing Executive, Calor Gas said: “At Calor we have been overwhelmed by the quality of work going on across the country and the numbers of nominations which have been flooding in to us. These people help to raise aspirations and create a feel-good factor within local communities. Choosing the local champions has been a hard task, without them it is clear our communities would be much poorer places. Calor wants every county to get behind their local champion and provide them with the reward and recognition they deserve.”

Having been nominated Paul added: “In the first instance I feel very humbled and surprised to have been nominated to represent Ballycastle and Antrim in the Calor Community Champion and would like to to this opportunity to offer praise to all those other more deserving people and groups within Ballycastle who work tirelessly behind the scenes to provide valuable services and support to the local community.

“I see this as an honour and would consider this a great opportunity to boost the profile of both Ballycastle Community Development Group and the town and people of Ballycastle.”

The winner will be chosen by our Judging Panel led by TV and radio personality, Hector Ó hEochagáin, and including legendary GAA and sports broadcaster, Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh and Jennifer Fagan from Calor. The Calor Community Champion 2012 will be announced on September 4th.