Burnley shortlisted for £20,000 Let's Celebrate Towns grant

Burnley is in the running for a £20,000 grant towards projects to celebrate its heritage.

The borough has been shortlisted in Let’s Celebrate Towns, an initiative designed to recognise towns 'building thriving local communities around the UK'.

Run by Visa and Nationwide Building Society, Let's Celebrate Towns encourages bids to support community projects across the UK.

The five winning towns, selected by a panel of judges comprising experts from across business and industry, will be announced at an awards ceremony in December in the House of Commons, and each winner will receive £20,000 towards a new or ongoing community initiative.

Kelly Smith, development officer at Burnley Council, said: “Our nomination celebrates everything that makes Burnley special, from its rich heritage and historic buildings to its much loved parks and green spaces.

“These places and heritage assets are a huge part of what makes Burnley unique. They are valued by our communities and play an important role in shaping the town’s character and identity. We want to ensure they are protected, cared for and enjoyed for generations to come.

“Being shortlisted is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Burnley’s heritage and recognise the ongoing work to protect, enhance and safeguard the buildings, landscapes and valued local assets that our communities are so proud of.

"We are very proud to see Burnley recognised in this way and look forward to celebrating everything that makes our town such a special place to live, work and invest.”

Rob Cameron, group country manager at Visa UK & Ireland, said: “We have been positively overwhelmed by the response to Let's Celebrate Towns this year, with record entries from every corner of the UK. That tells us there is real energy and ambition in towns across the country, with communities coming together to make positive change happen. We’re proud to give these communities a platform, sharing their stories and ideas more widely and ensuring they are part of the national conversation about the future of our towns.”

Mandy Beech, group director of retail services at Nationwide, said: “Thriving high streets are built by local people who bring communities together, and the number of towns represented this year shows the scale of what is already being achieved. With Government focus on high streets growing, now is the moment to learn from them and build on their success.”

Since launching in 2023, Let’s Celebrate Towns has recognised more than 30 towns across over a dozen counties, investing £20,000 in each winning town, and allowing community projects up and down the country to grow and thrive.

Among last year's winners was Morecambe, which used the funding for a number of projects including extending fibre connectivity, installing solar powered public wifi access points, creating digital hubs for skills training and technology access, supporting businesses and promoting sustainability through renewable energy solutions.