Peel: Former Councillor Wendy Dwyer passes away

It is with great sadness that the Hyndburn Labour group announce the death of former Peel ward Councillor Wendy Dwyer.

Wendy served on Hyndburn Council until 2003 and had also been a member of Lancashire County Council until 2009. Following re-election in 2010, she stepped down from the Council in 2016 after representing Peel Ward for a final 6 years and was made an Alderman in May.

Graham Jones MP said, "She was involved in many societies including Credit Union and Parkinson's Society amongst many. She was an amazing woman. Proud wife of a local miner who spent so many years fighting for the people of Baxenden, Barnfield and Peel as well those across Hyndburn."

Paddy Short, who succeeded Wendy in Peel in May's elections, said, "It is a great and daunting honour to stand in her place. I have a lot to live up to. But I'll keep that red flag flying, Wendy."

Rishton Councillor Clare Cleary, "An inspiration and a true role model, you will be sadly missed x"

Cllr Noordad Aziz said, "Wendy was a stalwart and the best."

Cllr Munsif Dad said "Very sad indeed, it is loss to the Hyndburn Labour movement. Excellent ambassador and she will be missed."

Council Leader Miles Parkinson said, "Wendy served many enjoyable years on both Hyndburn Borough Council and Lancashire County Council plus she had numerous passions and was invcolved with many charities to make Hyndburn a better place. She was a great lady who will be sadly missed by all and especially the Labour Party."

The flags around the borough will be at half mast today in memory of Wendy.Details of her funeral will be announced shortly.

Great Harwood: Councillor walks 23 miles on Walk Of Peace

Hyndburn Labour Councillor Noordad Aziz complete 23-mile Walk of Peace in honour of genocide victims

Great Harwood Councillor Noordad Aziz joined other walkers in Remembering Srebrenica as they completed a 23-mile Walk of Peace from Blackburn Cathedral to Manchester Cathedral on 17th July.
The route took walkers between the two Cathedrals and stopped at places of worship and council premises along the way. This walk came at the end of Srebrenica Memorial Week and was one of nearly 200 events across the country to honour the 8,372 victims of Srebrenica who were killed in July 1995. Walking in solidarity with the survivors of the genocide, the walked mirrored the peace walk which takes place annually in Srebrenica.

Councillor Noordad Aziz was joined by Julie Ward MEP at the start and end of the walk, as well as Councillor Tamoor Tariq, Bury Council Cabinet Member for Communities & Safer Neighbourhoods who welcomed them for refreshments at Castle Leisure Centre. The walk also stopped at Saint James Church in Edgworth and North Manchester Jamia Mosque.

Councillor Noordad Aziz said: “We felt it was important to take this message of peace out to the people and despite the heat, the blisters and aching muscles we all feel that we did that. At a time when there is so much to be concerned about with rising hate crime, we were able to spread a positive message of peace.”

Remembering Srebrenica Chairman Dr Waqar Azmi OBE explained: “21 years after the genocide, we are determined not only to remember the victims of Srebrenica, but to honour their memories by taking positive action to build better communities. Srebrenica teaches us that prejudice and hatred left unchecked can have catastrophic consequences, not only for the generation that suffers the violence, but for the following generations whose futures are also irreversibly altered.

“The parallels between the rhetoric in the Balkans in the 1990s and in the UK today are striking. Hate crime in the UK, particularly religious hate crime, has risen significantly. We must heed the deadly warning of Srebrenica and take action to challenge the stereotypes and prejudices that feed hatred. We must not allow those who spread divisive messages to succeed in their efforts to breed hatred and intolerance.

Baxenden: Accrington Pals memorial unveiled in Haworth Park

Accrington and Rossendale College recently received £9,700 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to create a replica of the Serre Accrington Pals Monument as part of the HLF’s First World War then and now programme.

The project has ernabled the building of a replica of the memorial situated in the Sheffield Memorial Park in the Somme region of France in Haworth Park, Accrington.

To mark the centenary of the First World War, the College and its partners, Hyndburn Borough Council, Hyndburn Homes, The Hollins Technology College and others have created a space in Haworth Park where the people of Hyndburn will be able to come together to commemorate the memory of the Accrington Pals and provide a distinctive link to the Somme area where the Pals fell in July 1916.

The project will allow young people of Accrington today to research and visit sites associated with the Pals and then create their own memorial to the young people of the early 20th century who gave so much to ensure the future of the country.

The new memorial is now open to the public to allow quiet reflection on the First World War and its impact on the local community. Pupils from The Hollins Technlogical College will provide research work for information boards situated at the memorial.

Andy Armiger, of Accrington and Rossendale College, said, “We have finished the construction phase of the Accrington Pals Memorial in Haworth Park. There will also be two new information boards erected shortly but the monument itself is finished. We are thrilled to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and are moving ahead with our project partners to provide something that will stand as a lasting tribute to the Pals.”

HBC: Shaping the buildings of the future

Accrington shop and building owners are invited to a series of free, ‘Buildings of the Future,’ events, where they can explore how the unique and rich heritage of the town centre buildings can be conserved, whilst making them attractive and welcoming to the modern consumer.

The events are part of the Townscape Heritage Initiative, funded by the Hyndburn Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund. This is set to transform the historic retail and commercial gateway into the town centre, along Blackburn Road, culminating in a public realm scheme outside Accrington Town Hall and Market Hall to commemorate the Accrington Pals.

The events, which are run by Hyndburn Council in conjunction with Sympathetic Works Ltd, are taking place at Accrington Town Hall. The next event, ‘attracting customers with good design’, is scheduled for Wednesday 13th July, running from 6.30pm until 8.30pm and will include a tour of local shops.

The ‘Heritage and Signage, attracting customers with good design’, event will be an opportunity to look at a range of shop signage styles and discuss which are the most appropriate to attract the customers, whilst considering the heritage value and planning requirements.

Cllr Clare Cleary, Cabinet Member for Town centre’s said; “Accrington is a town with a strong and proud heritage and its fine legacy of mid to late 19th and 20th century buildings are an important part of its distinct identity. The aim of the ‘Buildings of the Future’ events is to promote a better understanding of the town centre buildings history, in order to halt the loss of unique architectural features in the future.

Everyone is welcome, just turn up on the night, or for further information, contact Annette Birch via email on Annette.birch@hyndburnbc.gov.uk, or by calling 07876 442462.

The next event coming up is: Wed 10th August, Repairing and Maintaining Historic Buildings

For details of all the events see www.hyndburnbc.gov.uk.

Accrington: George Slynn Bus Station now open!

Accrington’s new £6.4 million ‘George Slynn’ bus station has been officially opened. Councillors past and present joined with dignitaries and relatives of George Slynn to commemorate the opening of the long awaited transport terminal on Crawshaw Street.

Hyndburn Council leader Miles Parkinson said he was delighted that the town can now boast a ‘fit for purpose’ station.

He said: “We had some senior councillors from a number of years who are no longer on the council and can remember the long wish to have a proper bus station within the town. We would’ve liked to have had lovely summer weather but it was a day of heavy rain.

“However it makes the point that people previously had to queue in the wet and windy weather under a shelter which didn’t give them much protection. Now we have a modern purpose-built bus station in the heart of the town to bring people in.”

The station, which began operating yesterday, is open seven days a week and the facilities include free wi-fi, information desks, public toilets, bus and train timetable displays, interactive journey planners and support for the deaf or visually impaired.

Coun Parkinson said the station is the first piece of a ‘multi-million pound’ jigsaw of investment for the town centre over the next two years.

He said: “Shortly the new police station will be opening on Broadway, we will then be moving forward with public realm works along Blackburn Road and Peel Street an engaging with businesses and stakeholders in the area to come up with the final plans for the dedication of a square to the Accrington Pals.

“This is one part of a multi-million investment in the town and we will continue investing in the next 28 months.

“Of course we can’t provide everything and it’s up to residents where they chose to shop and chose to go and spend their money but we are doing our utmost to work with all the key stakeholders.”

The bus station was named in memory of former Great Harwood councillor and transport campaigner George Slynn.

Coun Parkinson said: “George’s brother Jimmy and his wife Denise were there which was very poignant.

"Being a non-motor vehicle driver George travelled extensively by public transport and it’s only fitting that the bus station which he long wanted for the town is named after him.”

The new bus station is part of the £40 million Pennine Reach public transport scheme which aims to improve transport links between Accrington and Blackburn.

County Councillor John Fillis said: "Accrington's new bus station will make a real difference to the town, offering passengers a comfortable place to wait for their bus and, with the train station being much closer, making it much quicker for people to switch modes as they travel across the area.

"The new bus stations in Accrington and Blackburn, combined with the numerous improvements to bus shelters and traffic signal junctions along the Pennine Reach corridor represent a vastly enhanced public transport network for the wider Hyndburn and Blackburn with Darwen areas.

"The introduction of new bus lanes, bus priority measures, and all the fantastic technology that can be seen inside both Blackburn and Accrington Bus Stations really has brought the bus network in this area into the 21 Century.

"The overall aim of Pennine Reach is to help kick start the regeneration of these East Lancashire towns and already that can be seen in both Accrington and Blackburn with heritage initiatives aiming to improve large areas of the town centres.

"This creates the conditions to attract further commercial investment to really transform the area and people's opportunities.

"Whilst the bus stations are the most visible aspect of the Pennine Reach project, the wide range of investments which have resulted from the scheme really do make this a far reaching project which will benefit East Lancashire for many years to come."

Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre: The Giant's Loo Roll - Saturday 6th August, 2.00pm

Look out for the biggest loo roll ever on stage in this GIANT of a children’s musical.

The villagers living in the town below the Giant’s house had better watch out, that loo roll has gone bouncing down the hill and straight towards them! Luckily, the townsfolk find lots of uses for runaway loo paper – one sheet provides a huge canvas for an artist, a tailor uses another to fill her shop with paper pants and a school class makes a huge dart that can fly. But what about the Giant himself – doesn’t he need any loo paper? The townspeople have an answer for that, too!

Watch out for some frightened sheep, lots of excited children and a fantastic amount of toilet paper in this rip roaring new musical by TaleGate Theatre Productions.

This musical has been put together by the team than brought you the festive musical ‘Father Christmas Needs a Wee!’ which has seen success in a sell out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and a sell out UK Tour. With ‘The Giant’s Loo Roll’ TaleGate Theatre Productions have yet again hit the perfect combination of witty humour, fantastic music and the extra sparkle for which they have become known in this fabulously funny and brilliantly bouncy musical adaptation of Nicholas Allan’s much loved book.

Tickets: Adults £12, Kids £9, Family £38

Rishton: Methodist Church Pet Service - 24th July 2016

A special church service will be conducted on Sunday 24th July at Rishton Methodist Church for pets. All residents are invited to bring their pets along for a blessing to the service which starts at 10.30am at the church on Albert Street.

For more detail please ring 01254 491850.

Scam Awareness Month

Scams Awareness Month 2016 (SAM16) aims to create a confident community of consumers; people who get timely advice from trusted sources; people who report scams and share their experiences so that others can benefit.

Scams are not a minor inconvenience; they cause distress and misery, they ruin lives in some cases and , even where the losses are comparatively low, they lead to widespread loss of consumer confidence.

Throughout July, local Citizens Advice and Trading Standards Services together with other partners will aim to get the key messages out to consumers across the County.

As part of this awareness raising it would be really useful if you could circulate the information in this email to any of your staff/contacts who may come into contact with vulnerable clients who may be at risk from scams.

The information in the attached booklet is of use to both clients and to the staff members who may work with them. Ideally we would like a version of the attached poster to be displayed in relevant offices and reception areas to encourage reporting of scams by victims or their friends and relatives.

There is further information about the campaign at

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/campaigns/current_campaigns/scams-awareness-month/

There will be regular features about scams on our Trading Standards Facebook page – Scambuster Stan

https://www.facebook.com/StanleyDards

HBC: Summer Fun 2016

A booklet packed with fun activities for children and young people to enjoy in Hyndburn over the summer will be given out to all pupils in Hyndburn schools soon.

The booklet, produced by Hyndburn Borough Council, in partnership with the Hyndburn, Rossendale and Ribble Valley’s Children’s Partnership Board and Lancashire’s Children and Young People’s Trust has a whole host of things to keep young people entertained over the summer; including swimming, badminton, table tennis, performing arts, gymnastics and free running.

The booklet provides a calendar with hundreds of activities for children and young people to take part in over the summer holidays. Featuring the Quid a Kid Club at Hyndburn Leisure Centre, drama projects at the Civic Arts Centre plus a range of activities for younger children.

Councillor Ken Moss, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families said; “The Summer Fun Brochure is back once again to help keep you happy, active and busy over the summer break. We are delighted to be able to produce this handy booklet again and whatever you’re into we’re sure that there’s something for everyone to enjoy.”

The Summer Fun Booklet will also be available to collect at libraries, children’s centres, leisure centres and other public buildings.

Somme Commemorations 2016

Council Leader, Cllr Miles Parkinson, today thanked everyone who attended and all those involved in planning last week’s Somme Centenary Commemorations in the Borough.

Council Leader, Cllr Miles Parkinson, said: “The Pals’ huge bravery and sacrifice and that of their comrades who fought and fell in World War One, must never be forgotten, it was wonderful that so many people came along to the many commemorative events which took place across the Borough to mark the centenary of the Accrington Pals' devastating losses and to mark the sacrifice of all those who fell in the Great War.”

Somme Commemoration events included the March to the Front, replicating the march of the Accrington Pals to the front on 30 June 1916. Part of this event was 'Falling'- a stunning visual art performance at 7pm in Oakhill Park, featuring local people representing the Accrington Pals.

The Pals Memorial in Accrington was the site of a number of poignant and moving commemorative events. A candle lit vigil was held by the Royal British Legion on the eve of the Battle of the Somme Centenary, followed the morning after by a Civic Commemoration, led by Rev Ian Enticott, to mark one hundred years since the Pals went 'over the top'. The whistle was blown at 7.30am by Corporal Oliver Gillibrand of the 4th Battalion Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment.

A similar service, led by lay reader Cllr Judith Addison, took place at the Pals memorial in Serre, France at the same time. It was attended by the Mayor Cllr Tim O’Kane and Mayoress Mrs Melanie Storey and a party including members of the Great War Society, nine year old Emily-Rose Hughes, representing the Royal British Legion and six year old Luke Holmes, the grandson of Pals Historian Walter Holmes and great, great nephew of Accrington Pal, Walter Holmes.

Cllr O’Kane said, “The service on the Somme was poignant and well attended. We could hear the skylarks singing and moving about at the start of the service and you could have heard a pin drop when the whistles sounded to advance into no man’s land.”

Lois Broderick laid a wreath at the Commemoration and later read names of the Pals at the roll call in honour of her father, the late Bill Turner, renowned historian and author of many books about the Pals.

Jeremy Harvard, who had travelled from Australia for the Commemorations laid a wreath in honour of his Grandfather, Accrington Pal, Sgt George Haynes, at the Civic Commemoration and also read his name at the roll call.

Jeremy said; “It was a very touching and poignant ceremony, sending us a message from the past that we can take to the future. We need to keep their memory alive.”

Cllr Parkinson added; The Pals centenary events were a chance for everyone, to recognise and commemorate the Pals and their sacrifice and their place in the borough’s rich history, so it’s great that so many people came along and supported the events.

Cllr Parkinson concluded; “The commemoration events are the result of a lot of hard work of Council staff, the Royal British Legion and volunteers involved with the Accrington Pals Centenary Commemorations Group, which is made up of members of the community including Pals experts; historians; local craftspeople; people involved in drama; local voluntary groups and the Council, and a huge thank you should go to them.”