Local history group Bacup Natural History Society asked for help in promoting an exciting new venture funded by a National Lottery Heritage Grant. Historian Wendy Lord researched the Fern Hill Auxiliary Hospital used in the First World War to treat injured servicemen....
A vulnerable homeless man’s body lay undiscovered for four days after two local councils refused to offer him a bed for the night. He only had a room to sleep in because a homeless project in Harrogate paid for a hotel. The project did not think it right that...
Veterans turned detective to solve the mystery of a soldier whose name appeared on a World War II roll of honour but nothing was known about him. All the other 110 names had full details of rank, age at time of death, place of death and whether they were married, but...
When he became homeless in the late 1980s David R Mellor picked up a pen and began writing poetry. When he finally got settled he returned to school to educate himself then qualified as a social worker and he began performing his poems on stage. Catherine Smyth was...
Brave teachers at Fearns Community Sports College put their best legs forward, then endured the pain while their hairs were ripped out using hot wax. It was all in the name of charity and the school’s efforts on the day raised £1,000 for Comic Relief. Catherine...
When a choir for people who have dementia was set up, organisers were delighted when its membership soared by a third in just a month. Catherine Smyth has a PR contract with REAL who helped to set up the choir with Crossroads. It now meets every Wednesday in...
When a Whitworth couple found themselves in financial strife after redundancy, Rossendale Citizens’ Advice Bureau helped them to reclaim nearly £9,000. They are now debt free – something that would not have happened had it not been for the actions of the...
Rossendale’s answer to the ‘Oscars’ were presented to top businesses at a prestigious ceremony. Catherine Smyth was employed by Valley At Work to promote the event in through a series of articles starting back in June and culminating in a double page...
The recently retired headteacher of Haslingden High School has been awarded an OBE in the New Year’s Honours list. Eve Challinger was head of the Rossendale high school until August 2011 and led it to become an ‘outstanding’ school by Ofsted...
A Rawtenstall salon was recreated for a hit Sky1 HD comedy Little Crackers starring the Valley’s own Jane Horrocks. The production was based around a true story of a hair encounter when Rawtenstall-born Jane wanted to emulate her idol Barbra Streisand and...
A Falklands veteran besieged by memories of the conflict has found new hope thanks to art. Darren Horsnell turned his life around from being homeless and suicidal to being engaged and now helping others to explore art and looking forward to a brighter future. A story...
An investigation into the potential conflict of interest of having a bailiff company owned by the same business outsourced to collect council tax featured as the three-page splash in the Big Issue In The North on March 26. The freelance investigation, carried out by...
A stunning pair of wellies designed by a pupil from Fearns Community Sports College won a competition and could be picked to be sold nationally. Courtney-Lea Reader, 13, designed the wellies for the festival range sold by the national competition by retail giant...
Seventeen-year-old Luke Dempsey will be playing in the prestigious Proms concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Luke, from Bacup, has been playing cornet since he was eight is principal cornet player with 2nd Rossendale Scout Group Band. Aged just 12 he played a...
A children’s centre that received national praise has seen a baby boom among staff with a fifth expecting or recently giving birth. Haslingden Community Link combines childcare and parent craft activities with a community centre and cafe meeting the needs of all...
When a veteran was told he had claimed money he was not entitled to he agreed to pay it back – yet he was still prosecuted. Amputee Craig Howorth, from Bacup, was told that he could remortgage his house to repay the cash in a lump sum, even though he had agreed...
For the second year running the Royal British Legion in Greater Manchester has employed Catherine Smyth Media to publicise their record breaking Poppy Appeal. This year the cadets final total showed a 10 per cent increase on the figures for 2009. A release was written...
A DETERMINED dad who battled a bailiff bill and won, has finally received an apology from Rossendale Council after taking the matter to the ombudsman. As a result of James Howson’s actions, the ombudsman decided some charges made were ‘unreasonable’...
A DETERMINED resident threatened legal action after a health body announced plans to scrap vital funding of Rossendale Citizens’ Advice Bureau (CAB). Rawtenstall resident Miranda Owen pursued a Judicial Review of the East Lancashire Teaching Primary Care Trust’s (PCT)...
Young Dancer Jayden Leigh has shown he is a little star when it comes to street dance. Despite being born with club foot which is still being treated with splints and boots, he has passed his first exam at Dansworks Dance Academy. A news story and photographs by...
