Ann Kenyon

Mayor of Rossendale

THE past month began with an invitation to a Holocaust Memorial Day Service held at Preston Minister.

This service was dedicated to the remembrance of those who suffered in The Holocaust and included a number of poignant speeches from various charities, groups and schools.

It was a very special event and I was honoured to take part in remembering those adults and children affected.

At the end of January I had the pleasure of attending two different events which both showcased the fantastic community spirit we have here in Rossendale.

The first event was a presentation evening at the George and Dragon in Bacup. Mr Alan Royle and Mr Tony Royle had organised various competitions including Darts, Dominoes, Pool and Football, in order to raise money for Christies.

In reward for all their hard work, Alan and Tony raised over £1,200.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate them both on their excellent achievement and I would also like to express my thanks to Vodafone, for agreeing to match the funds, giving a fundraising total of £2,430.

The second event was a visit to the 42nd Rossendale Beavers & Cubs Group at Trinity Baptist Church.

It was wonderful to visit this group and I was pleased to hear that the Cubs and Beavers in Bacup had been awarded Level 5 Outstanding for the Wall of History Garden in Bacup as part of the ‘RHS Britain in Bloom’ It’s your Neighbourhood awards.

Again I would like to express my appreciation for this significant contribution to our local area and to congratulate them on their excellent achievements.

At the beginning of February I also enjoyed a visit to two different dance groups within Rossendale.

Firstly, I attended the Danswork Dance Academy Awards Presentation at The Riverside. This was a fantastic event showcasing the achievements of the young people that have recently taken their dance exams.

The following night I attended a fundraising evening organised by Phoenix Academy Irish Dancing, a small Irish Dance school based in Rossendale. Eight dancers have qualified to participate in the World Championships in North Carolina in April and the evening was organised in order to raise money to help fund the trip.

I would like to pass on my best wishes to all the dancers travelling to

America to compete and I wish them luck.

This past month also saw the first of two Mayor’s charity events being held at the IDL Club take place.

Guests were treated to a performance from the Lomax Brothers and took part in fundraising activities to raise money for the Mayor’s Charity.

The event raised over £220 and I would like pass on my sincere thanks to all the staff at the IDL Club for their help and support.

Recently I also had the pleasure of attending a concert by Whitworth Vale & Healey Band in order to present a member of the band with a Roll of Honour Award from Rossendale Borough Council. Mr David Tattersall has played ‘The Last Post and Reveille’ for 40 consecutive years, at the Remembrance Sunday Service in Whitworth, and was presented the award to acknowledge his commitment, hard work and personal sacrifice.

I would like to end with a reminder that this year’s Mayor’s Ball will be held at Rossendale Golf Club and there will be entertainment provided by comedy and cabaret act ‘Bosom Buddies’.

The ball will be held on Friday, March 22; tickets are now on sale and can be purchased by contacting the Mayor’s Office.