Community going potty as preparations under way for popular festival
MAKERS are already busy creating for Rossendale’s ‘pottiest’ event – the fifth Bacup Flowerpot Festival which unites everyone and provides free summer entertainment.
Colourful creations will be springing up all over Bacup, Stacksteads, Britannia, Weir and Sharneyford but the trail does not stop there and last year there were also entries from Waterfoot, Whitewell Bottom, Shawforth and Cloughfold.
The event is organised by community group Bacup Pride whose volunteers work tirelessly all year round to not just pick up litter, but plant around the town centre to ensure it looks bright and colourful.
The group also runs the community allotment at Stubbylee Park and maintains and improves Bacup Cemetery, also known as Fairview, and keeps the Britannia Greenway clean.
Chair of Bacup Pride Pat Smith said: “We had the largest ever number of flower pot creations last year, so much so we needed to double the size of the free trail leaflet we have
printed. As we were still under restrictions, we didn’t hold workshops and instead we put together kits and gave instructions and paint so people could make them at home.
“That was hugely successful so we are continuing it again this year.
“People can call at the Bacup Pride market cabin any Saturday up to July 16 from 10am to 12.30pm and collect a kit and then make and paint them at home and have them in a visible location from August.
“Participating schools are asked to make sure they are on display by the end of the school year.”
This year the festival has been sponsored by the Rossendale Community Partnership, the Fox Group and an anonymous donor.
Claire Porter, from Tong Lane, Bacup, said: “I absolutely loved this trail last year and we are looking to make our own flowerpots sculptures this year.
“The trail was so easy to follow and as I am new to the area and still finding my way around it was great that it was split into different areas.
“I have three children at home and we did a different route each time.
“It kept the children entertained and even my youngest Liliana was trying to follow the route. It kept their attention and they enjoyed looking out for the different things people had created.”
This year the sculptures should be kept on display until mid-September.