The SURF Awards for Best Practice in Community Regeneration is now open for applications.

The prestigious annual awards process, now in its 12th year, recognises and promotes best practice in regeneration in Scotland.

The SURF Awards is supported by the Scottish Government’s Scottish Centre for Regeneration (SCR), and independently judged by a panel of representatives drawn from relevant national organisations and community groups.

If you are aware of a project or initiative that you believe deserves particular recognition, please consider nominating it for a 2010 SURF Award in one of four categories:

* People - this award will be given to a project or initiative which demonstrates best practice in involving communities in the regeneration process.

* Place - this award will be presented to a project that demonstrates best practice in ensuring that a strong sense of place is developed enabling the community of an area to take pride in their surroundings. This may be done through physical development on the ground; through the development of projects aimed at ensuring greater sustainability; through the successful development of community assets; or through initiatives geared towards engendering a sense of pride within an area or promoting a more positive view of the area from those outside of it.

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* Partnership - this award will be presented to a project or initiative which shows best practice in joint working involving different organisations, agencies and disciplines, including the local community, and which successfully aids a community’s regeneration. Entries may include initiatives or projects which are implemente collaboratively between the private, public and voluntary sectors; across the urban/rural spectrum; projects aimed at ensuring transparency, collaboration and commitment from partners from different sectors; or projects or initiatives aimed at shifting attitudes within partners towards better partnership working.

* Health & Employment Partnership - this award will be presented to a project that supports community regeneration by successfully encouraging the engagement of health professionals in productive partnership with local employability projects.

The SURF Awards aim to reward best practice in regeneration, help promote and disseminate best practice in regeneration efforts across Scotland and highlight how regeneration and inclusion initiatives can make a real difference to communities.

The SURF Awards are open to any project or initiative, taking place in Scotland, which is currently in place or has been completed within two years of the closing date for entries.

An application form and full criteria can be downloaded here from the SURF website

The deadline for applications is 12 noon on 20 September 2010.

(GK)