Friends of Haworth Gallery on the up

THE Friends of Haworth Accrington was set up 12 months ago by a small group of dedicated volunteers whose aim was to support Haworth Art Gallery staff in promoting all aspects of Haworth Accrington – including the house, the art collections, stables and Motor House Studios, along with the gardens and parkland.

Since its formation they have gained more members and have been extremely active both in the gallery and in the wider community.

Their first annual general meeting was held at the gallery on Thursday, August 2 and the chair’s report highlighted some of the very successful projects they have undertaken in the last 12 months.

One of the major projects has been research into the Haworth family and their staff.

A wealth of information has been uncovered and catalogued, ready to use for further study.

Endless hours of searching though documents held at the gallery, as well as the local history reference section in Accrington Library and internet records, have resulted in fascinating stories that can be found on the group’s website www. haworthaccrington.org.

The group have also worked with the local community, highlights of which were Hollins School’s Through the Lens photography project and a presentation about Haworth staff and Baxenden history at Baxenden Village Club.

Friends of Haworth Accrington are now developing future projects, including a presentation, Below Stairs and Beyond the Park, on Sunday, September 23, at 2pm.

They will also be at the Fun Palace event at Accrington Library on Saturday, October 6 and there will be a tombola stand and guest surprises at Haworth Art Gallery Christmas Family Fun Day on December 16.

They are also looking for new members who would like to get involved. Please contact haworthaccrington@gmail.com.

For details of all events please check our Facebook page.

Friends of Haworth Accrington, from left: Martha Caramitsos, Alison Phelan, Jean Emmett, Harry Emmett and David Morris with Ribble Vehicle Preservation Group’s vintage grand touring coach