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CREATIVE Dotty Davies has become a star in her favourite band’s new video after the storyboard she designed won a national competition. Dotty, 10, from Cowpe, is a huge New Hope Club fan and an avid viewer of the children’s TV programme Blue Peter. When it was announced that the group was looking for children to design storyboard for a video to accompany their Christmas single, she had to enter. As part of the competition, she also had to write about her favourite engineer and she chose Dorotheé Pullinger – who started a college for women engineers and redesigned the car to be more suitable for women

She had previously written a music video for her school Waterfoot Primary, which earned her class an amazing trip to Majorca. Dotty, a dancer Dansworks Dance Academy of Performing Arts in Bacup, said: “My inspiration for the storyboard came from seeing Joe Suggs dancing to A-ha’s ‘Take on Me’ on Strictly Come Dancing. I enjoyed it so much I watched the original video. My storyboard started with a girl in a shabby cramped room, drawing a colourful picture of Christmas with her favourite band. As the video progresses she finds herself in the picture.”

Dotty was at her grandparents’ caravan when she got a call from CBBC to say that she had won the competition. She said: “I was jumping up and down, but I could only tell a few people that I had won and that was hard keeping it quiet.”

Dotty was invited down to the show at Salford Quays, where she met the cast of Nativity Rocks who were doing a pre-recording and then she met presenters Radzi Chinyanganya and Lindsey Russell. She said: “Radzi gave me some good tips on presenting. It was quite exciting but really tiring. We went down for 9am and didn’t finish until 7pm.

Dotty got to be first assistant director at the shoot in Shoreditch, London, when her storyboard became a real video for ‘All I Want For Christmas’. The producers liked her ideas so much they also cast Dotty in the video. At one stage she has to spin round 15 times and she said it took 21 takes before producers were happy with everyone’s performance and that the lighting was right. Dotty was born with talipes, more commonly known as club foot, which left her with a weak ankle; she also has hearing problems. Since the age of three she has been attending Dansworks and that has strengthened her ankle obviating the need for any operations. Attending the classes has also boosted her confidence.

Her mum Sarah said: “She has private lessons with Principal Karen Roe and she has instilled in Dotty that she can do anything that she wants to do. She loves the family atmosphere and that everyone is given the chance to succeed. Dansworks has helped her to overcome a range of different life challenges and given her life skills like tenacity, patience, memory skills, teamwork and concentration as well as physical fitness.”

She also won inventors’ kit from the Institute of Engineering and Technology and an orange Blue Peter badge. Dotty, who saw New Hope Club at Manchester Arena, will next be seen on the programme on December 20 when group’s Christmas single is launched.

Story by Catherine Smyth Media

VOLUNTEER first responders now have a new base that is being used to train personnel from across the North West. For around 13 years, Rossendale Community First Responders was based at Fearns Community Sports College, Stacksteads. The trained team responds to emergency incidents often arriving ahead of the ambulance crews.

Team Leader Dawn Taylor said: “Rossendale is one of the largest and busiest Community First Responder teams and we are the only team in the North West that had a proper home that we could use free of charge and we were always made welcome at Fearns. We were delighted with the facilities that we had at Fearns and when the school relocated the library into the main complex we were given the whole building to use so we developed it to provide a meeting room, separate training room and kitchen.”

The team has now relocated to the Police Station in Waterfoot because it is a more central location on the main Bacup Road. Dawn said: “We now have a training room, a conference room, dining area with kitchen and a store room, which is only for our use. We are now on the main road and the ambulance service is currently in discussions about possibly relocating to this facility.”

The new base has already been used to offer training sessions for the whole of the North West Ambulance Service. Inspector Dave Clarke said: “We have had officers that have attended the responders’ training sessions. This station is our divisional training centre and is used to train officers from Burnley, Blackburn, Ribble Valley, Pendle, Rossendale and Hyndburn. The facilities we have here are excellent. Officers are here 24/7 and as the First Responders have training sessions at the weekend and in the evenings there is always someone here. We appreciate the work of the Community First Responders because we often go to the same incidents.”

Headteacher of Fearns Helen Stead said: “We were pleased to support the Community First Responders while they were based here at Fearns, they do a great job and we are always keen to support our local community.  As a more convenient and central place became available in Waterfoot, they took the decision to move. Although we were sorry to see them go, we fully understand their reasons. The Community First Responders were based at Fearns for more than 10 years and we would be happy to host them again, should the need arise.”

There are 22 members of Rossendale Community First Responders with two more being trained in the New Year. The team is looking for volunteers in Weir, Bacup, Stacksteads, Edenfield and Whitworth.

To apply visit http://www.nwas-responders.info/apply.php

Story by Catherine Smyth Media

A COMMUTER rail link between Rossendale and Manchester could be on track after a study found the route was ‘feasible and cost effective’. Rossendale Council leader Councillor Alyson Barnes and officers, along with MPs and business leaders from across the rail route, met with Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry in London to update him on the findings of the early strategic case for rail investment. They also lobbied Transport for the North (TfN) to get the link included in its forthcoming Investment Programme as a ‘high priority’.

Rossendale is the only borough in Lancashire without a national rail link and struggles with severe congestion on the A56 and M66 at peak times. The report found that 14,000 Rossendale residents travel daily to work with 9,000 going into the Greater Manchester area. Five options were examined and evaluated, but Coun Barnes stressed she wanted to see a commuter route working in conjunction with the existing heritage East Lancashire Railway.

The report describes a ‘promising option’ as a peak period shuttle service between Rawtenstall and Bury using the East Lancashire Railway and a new heavy rail link from a disused platform at Bury Bolton Street Station to Castleton. Passengers would then have access to Manchester, Rochdale and West Yorkshire.

The report concludes: “Overall, we believe this work indicates that feasible options exist for investment which could deliver significant economic benefits, reduce congestion, and meet environmental targets in a way which will not harm the valuable operations of the East Lancashire Railway, and may even be to their benefit.”

Coun Barnes said: “The East Lancashire Railway is an incredible success story bringing visitors and tourism into the Rossendale economy and we do not want to lose it. However the current commuter network between Rossendale and Manchester is not. At peak periods both car drivers and bus passengers find themselves in nose to tail traffic on the A56, M66 and in the city centre and there is no potential to ease that situation. We want to see the rail link treated as a high priority scheme in the forthcoming TfN Investment Programme 2020-50.”

Rossendale and Darwen MP Jake Berry described reconnecting Rossendale and Manchester as ‘crucial’. He said: “I regard this link as crucial not just for Rossendale but to the whole development of the Northern Powerhouse.”

He said progress on the link had previously failed because it had not been a top priority for Lancashire County Council – but now it was. Transport for the North is also officially considering the plans and Mr Berry said: “This is the value of having the study done. The next big challenge is about getting Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to prioritise it and realise the significant growth it could bring to Manchester. Look at the economic growth in Rossendale since 2011, unemployment has been halved and more businesses than ever are setting up. My concern is that unless we solve many of the transport problems facing the Valley, it is going to stop further economic growth. This is not just about people going to Manchester to work from Rossendale but about Rossendale being able to access the skills of people from Manchester.”

Eden Councillor Janice Johnson is a member of the East Lancashire Railway Trust Board and said the transport situation is ‘desperate’. She said: “A commuter rail link would be marvellous. We need public transport upgrading, not just for now but for future generations and we have to think outside the box. I remember my son-in-law coming home to Rossendale from work in Wythenshawe and he had seen eight accidents that day en route, as a result he moved out of Rossendale for work.”

Irwell Vale resident Margaret Barker, 92, used to get on the railway at Ewood Bridge in her younger days to travel to Blackpool to go dancing. She now uses the heritage line to go shopping in Ramsbottom and Bury and said: “If it was to go further afield then I would go wherever it went.”

Rossendale commuter Simon Dalley, whose award winning business GrowTraffic is based in Bacup and South Yorkshire, said: “When I worked in Manchester I tried every means to get to work, car, train, bus; everything apart from walking. I used the X43 from Rawtenstall leaving at 6.55am to get into the city centre about 7.45am.”

He gave up driving to work because of cost, both in terms of fuel, parking and traffic. He abandoned the train because of the unreliability of the service from Todmorden and the hilly route from home to the station. Simon said: “The X43 is just as packed as the train was so I think a commuter rail link from Rawtenstall would be a way forward. It would be a really positive thing for Rossendale in general. It is crazy that such a big population centre does not have access to a rail link.”

Lancashire County Council Executive Director of growth, environment, transport and community service Stephen Young said: “The County Council is committed to transforming transportation links particularly in Rossendale which is the only district in Lancashire without a station on the national rail network. We see this as essential in further driving our collective economic aspirations and are fully supportive of this proposal and study.”

The plans have also been supported by East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce. Chief Executive Miranda Barker said: “Transport is always top of the list in terms of problems that businesses in East Lancashire mention. We are really good at manufacturing in this area, but then when it comes to transportation it is expensive and slow. We are also short of qualified engineers and while we are working with colleges, they often want to live in the city.”

She supported a heavy rail link, rather than a tram, because she said it would provide skilled workers with the means of travel to Rossendale while also providing potential to assist the movement of goods both in and out.

The original Rawtenstall railway station closed in 1972 and the East Lancashire Railway extended its heritage line from Bury to Rawtenstall when it opened a new station in 1991.

The report was commissioned by Rossendale Council in partnership with Lancashire County Council and was carried out by the Centre for Economics and Business Research.

Story by Catherine Smyth Media

JUNIOR footballers Rossendale Valley Tigers hope to be roaring to success in their new kit. The young squad of six and seven year olds has just been sponsored by children’s hair salon Noah’s Ark, based on the upper deck at Antony & Patricia in Bank Street, Rawtenstall. They play friendly matches in the Accrington and District League against teams from Rossendale, Hyndburn, Burnley and Blackburn at Blackburn Soccerdome. Since the Tigers U7s team was launched in January, the players have been wearing a hand-me-down kit.

Coach Michael Eddisford said: “We have a squad of nine and we play 5-a-side matches. They are all very happy with their new kit, being the Tigers and being sponsored by Noah’s Ark is very appropriate. It can be difficult to get a sponsor for a kit for such a young team. The Tigers have been playing fantastic football all season. Our former kit has not gone to waste either and has been handed down to another team.”

The squad trains at Marl Pits in the winter months and at St Peter’s Avenue in Haslingden in the summer.

Director of Noah’s Ark Tony Winder said: “When we were asked to sponsor the kit for the Tigers it was a natural fit with the children’s salon being called Noah’s Ark. The ark logo, complete with animals, looks perfect on the bright yellow kit.”

Story by Catherine Smyth Media

A SCHEME to tackle fuel poverty will see Citizens Advice Rossendale and Hyndburn helping customers to get the best energy deal. Funding has been approved for a scheme entitled – Energy Best Deal Extra, EBDx.

Manager of CARH Rachel Whippy said: “The money has been funded by national Citizens’ Advice and it will last until March so we will be able to offer support and help through the most expensive time of year for energy bills. It is targeted to help vulnerable customers, those who are struggling to pay their bills and who have not got the best deal for their household energy supply. We can offer guidance and payment options, information on how to access the best deals and how to go about switching and we can also check that they are in receipt of all the benefits they are entitled to. We can also help customers who are on pre-payment meters and help with debts. In 2017-18 across Rossendale and Hyndburn we were able to boost people’s income by more than £1.8million by making sure they were in receipt of all the benefits they were entitled to and we helped to write off debts worth more than £2.1million.”

CARH will also be able to advise on the Warm Home Discount Scheme where those eligible can claim £140 towards the cost of heating their homes over the coldest months.

Rachel said: “We will advise people on available grants that will make their homes more energy efficient as well as helping people with budgeting.”

To find out more about the scheme fill in a form on the CARH website www.carh.org.uk or contact the advice line on 0300 456 2552.

Appointments will be arranged either at the main offices or outreach locations.

Story by Catherine Smyth Media

AFTER eight months of renovation a historic Bacup building has been given a new lease of life with the opening of Valley Denture Clinic. Weir residents Kevin and Janet Abbott had been trading in Littleborough, but when they saw the improvements being made to the town centre as part of Bacup Townscape Heritage Initiative, they knew the town was on the up and decided to look for premises nearer to home.

Kevin said: “We saw the building on King Street and it was just perfect because it was ground floor, with two entrances and it offered the space that we needed. However it did require a lot of work renovation work – there was not even any electricity.”

The former KGs youth club and café has now been transformed thanks to local trades people and family members and now boasts a reception, laboratory, surgery, decontamination unit and accessible toilets.

Kevin said: “I have been a dental technician for 28 years and qualified at Manchester University. I have a special interest in prosthetics and spent the last two years training to become a Clinical Dental Technician at the School of Dentistry at UCLAN, a diploma ratified by the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh. There are around 300 Clinical Dental Technicians in the country but in the region of 50,000 general dentists. I chose to be a technician because it is a combination of science and art; in my work I am trying to imitate nature.”

Outside the building is a blue plaque as part Bacup Town Trail, which explains its history as weavers’ cottages. Many people have come in to see Janet and Kevin and recounted how the premises used to be a hardware shop with a large trowel outside, it was painted yellow and inside it smelt of linseed oil.

Janet said: “I used to be a dental nurse and when I was 18 that is when we met. I am now Practice Manager and I deal with external clients, pick ups and deliveries and chaperone patients.”

Kevin said: “There is a vast range of jobs in the dental industry and a dentist covers a very wide scope, why not go to someone who specialises in the work that needs to be done? These premises started their life being a place where items were handmade and now it has gone back to that as we hand make each denture. We even allow the patient to see their teeth being made.”

The practice also offers to visit nursing and residential homes who residents are having difficulties with dentures.

To find out more call 01706 876448 visit the businesses Facebook page Valley Denture Clinic or email enquiries@valleydentureclinic.co.uk

Story by Catherine Smyth Media

A MAJOR project is being led by Citizens’ Advice Rossendale and Hyndburn aimed to get people digitally aware and ready for work.

Project Co-ordinator Tony Sheppard runs Reach IT, a Building Better Opportunities project funded by the Big Lottery and the European Social Fund.

It aims to set up a network of trained digital champions to help people to become more computer literate and also digital buddies who are not formally trained but can assist in helping people.

Tony has been employed by Citizens’ Advice Rossendale and Hyndburn, based at Stubbylee Hall, Stubbylee Park, Bacup, on the scheme since February and has already worked with 30 people across Rossendale and Hyndburn.

As part of Get Online Week from October 15 to 21, Tony will be in the community officially launching the project.

Drop in sessions will be held on: Monday October 15 from 1.30pm to 3.30pm at Stubbylee Hall; Tuesday October 16 from 12.30pm to 2pm at Haslingden Community and Wednesday October 17 1.30pm-3.30pm at Whitworth Men’s Sheds at 6 Milner Street.

Tony said: “The project is designed to help people who are unemployed, carers, people who are sick or disabled but want to be able to move towards work or training to get help to improve their digital skills.

“Every Thursday I am at Rawtenstall’s Jobcentre Plus from 1-3pm where I already have a digital champion and buddy to help me.

“I am reaching out to get volunteers who want to be involved with the project as a participant.

“In Hyndburn I go into the Jobcentre Plus in Accrington every Tuesday from 10am to noon.”

It is recognised that digital skills and computer awareness are becoming essential requirements of many jobs that are being advertised and are needed to access everyday services.

Reach IT has been funded to try to bridge the gap to enable people who are unemployed to enhance their skills and help others.

To find out more complete an online form on the Citizens’ Advice Rossendale and Hyndburn website www.carh.org.uk, call in at one of the drop in sessions or call Tony on 07549 400 329.

Story by Catherine Smyth Media

WITHIN days of returning to full-time counselling, Paul Bridge was shocked when clients said they had been told to expect a wait of up to eight months for NHS therapy. Paul, 52, has been a counsellor for 18 years and in August opened his own firm Therapeutic Counselling Services in Winter House, Bacup.

He said: “I had one client come to see me who had been told the waiting list to see an NHS therapist was six months, another was told seven months while another went to see the doctor in January and only got an appointment in August. These are just a few of the people with high anxiety and depression who have sought me out, but how many more are also out there struggling to cope with problems on their own waiting for help? This is a huge problem especially as suicide rates are so high.”

Male suicide, often called the silent killer, is the single biggest cause of death in the UK for men under the age of 45 – a total of 84 suicides every week. September 10 was Suicide Awareness Day. Every two hours someone dies after committing suicide in the UK. With his business partner, Paul developed a profiling tool which is used by different agencies to assess clients’ needs. However because many authorities used European funding to purchase it, the Brexit decision resulted in a downturn in sales.

Paul, from Bacup, said: “I have four children to support and a Masters degree in counselling, so I decided to set up my own business close to home. I am so glad that I did because I really enjoy what I do and get a lot out of it. I am an integrative therapist and my Masters degree at Manchester University was all about using different forms of therapy. I am experienced in many different kinds of therapy and create a bespoke treatment for every individual client, because one size doesn’t fit all.”

As well as offering private counselling sessions, Paul is also looking to work in local businesses on employee assisted programmes and has offered his services to local GPs as an associate counsellor. Paul also has experience of helping drug users, probationers and offenders, and would be interested in working in schools.

To contact Paul email paul.tcs@yahoo.com or call 07720841002.

Paul was also delighted that his business was recently nominated for a 2018 Rossendale Business Award.

Story by Catherine Smyth Media