october2021 – Fylde Council

Director of Development Services retired from Fylde Council after 45 years in local government

Fylde Council — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 14:42:07 +0000

This week Paul Walker, Director of Development Services at Fylde Council retires after 45 years in local government and 18 years at Fylde Council.

Paul said about his time at Fylde: “I feel proud having worked at Fylde Council and have particularly enjoyed working with many staff, members and partners who have been professional, enthusiastic, supportive and committed in working together to deliver a number of key projects to benefit residents and visitors to the borough.”

Paul began his career at West Lancashire District Council in 1976 as an Apprentice Gardener. Once he had completed his qualifications Paul moved up the ranks to Chargehand Gardener and then eventually Supervisor before moving to Preston Borough Council as Assistant Parks Manager in 1987.

Finishing his time at Preston Council as Parks Manager in 1989, Paul moved to South Ribble Council in 1991 to the same role, and in his time here his team achieved the National Open Space Award in 1995 for the much-loved Longton Brickcroft Nature reserve. Then Worden Park achieved the first Green Flag in the north of England when the scheme was introduced in 1997, when only 7 were awarded across the country.

In 2003 Paul moved to Fylde Borough Council as Economic Wellbeing Unit Business Manager and was appointed as Development Services Director in 2008.

Whilst at Fylde Paul has been involved in several significant projects including the reopening/commissioning of St Annes pool and gym, delivering the council’s rationalisation of accommodation which included refurbishment of the Town Hall and Civic Chamber, the coastal defence strategy and overseeing works for the Fairhaven to Church Scar sea defence scheme. Most recently he has been working with partners to secure funding and approvals for the M55 link road which has recently commenced.

The Leader of Fylde Council, Councillor Karen Buckley said:

“Paul was already a senior officer when I joined the council in 2007. I found him a fount of knowledge on all borough council matters and a safe pair of hands to get projects done even when, at times, they seemed out of reach. He has overseen the delivery of some of the largest schemes the council has ever embarked upon and the borough is the better for it, for example the completion of the award-winning sea defences scheme around Fairhaven Lake and Granny’s Bay.

“His tenacious approach also helped ensure that work on the long-awaited M55 Link Road finally commenced this year. An improved link road had been the borough’s aspiration for 25 years and Paul’s dogged determination was instrumental in getting that project finally off the ground. Managing developments from parks to coastal defences and everything in-between invites controversy from time to time with many opposing views to be considered. Paul’s professional advice stemming from years of experience has been confidently relied upon by members right across the council and he will be greatly missed. On behalf of all councillors, I wish him a long and happy retirement.”

Allan Oldfield, Chief Executive of Fylde Council added:

“Paul has made a major contribution over his 18 years at Fylde, leading significant change and world-class projects with such success that it has helped make Fylde one of the best performing authorities in the region. Without Paul’s in-depth knowledge, experience and superb attitude, this would not have been possible. He will be missed, but I wish him all the happiness in what I know will be a very long and healthy retirement.”

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The Fairhaven Story Stall

Fylde Council — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 12:16:01 +0000

Fairhaven Lake will be hosting a celebration of light and sound on Saturday 30^th October at 2pm till 7pm highlighting the areas amazing natural heritage. Working with community artists Handmade Parade, we will be lighting up the newly restored Japanese garden with a flock of beautifully crafted bird lanterns. The unique sound and music will transport you to another world, while you can also get involved to add your reflection to the flock. Workshops will be held in the new watersports centre (12-2pm & 2.30-5.50pm) where you can make your own illuminated lantern which can be added to the installation and then taken home afterwards.

Councillor Michael Sayward, Chair of the Tourism and Leisure Committee said: “I can’t wait to see this fantastic event take place at Fairhaven, it will be heart-warming to see people come together after a long period of time. I’m so looking forward to seeing people adding their unique bird lantern to the flock. The Japanese garden has been restored with monies from the National Lottery Heritage fund project and lends itself perfectly as a location for this event and many more to come.”

The event will also see the premiere of a brand-new outdoor theatre and music

performance by Frolicked Outdoor Theatre, developed in partnership with

Spot On Lancashire, Fylde Borough Council and Friends of Fairhaven Lake. Based on the Sufi poem of the same name, a flock of four magnificent birds will embark on a visual and musical journey across the globe. Using skilled puppetry and four-part harmony, the birds sing their story whilst making their way through the landscape to find their fate.

Conference of the Birds brings together critically acclaimed puppeteer and maker Beka Haigh with original music from Chris Davies. Told with quirky humour, skilled puppetry and talented voices Frolicked’s latest show is a celebration of individuality and finding your own voice in a sea of voices.

Performances will be at 3pm and 5pm from the Spitfire memorial.

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Line Up Announced for Lytham’s Christmas Lights Switch-On

Fylde Council — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 17:04:41 +0000

News from Lytham Christmas:

BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT STAR & LOCAL TALENT TO ENTERTAIN THE CROWDS

One of the nation’s most beloved stars and a host of local performers will fill Lytham with music and laughter as they offically switch on this year’s Christmas Lights.

This year’s spectacular Lytham lights Switch-On will see Britain’s Got Talent top three finalist and Lancashire funny man Steve Royle light up the town as he offically flicks the switch following an afternoon of live music and entertainment.

The Lytham Christmas Lights Switch-On is a highlight of the Fylde coast calendar and this year will see it take place on Saturday November 20 from 1:45pm until 6pm. The official lights switch-on with a full firework display will take place between 4.30pm and 5.30pm.

Steve Royle is no stranger to Lytham as regular visitor to the Fylde coast and most recently starring in Naturally Insane! The Life of Dan Leno at Lytham Hall this year.

Comedian, juggler and variety star, Steve has a string of TV and stage credits to his name including Phoenix Nights, Max And Paddy’s Road To Nowhere, Peter Kay’s Britain’s Got The Pop Factor, and two performances at the London Palladium. Last year he entertained the country when he reached the finals of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent.

And he is delighted to be lighting up Lytham this Christmas.

“I’m absolutely honoured to have been asked,” said Steve.

“Everyone loves Lytham. It is such a beautiful town with so much to offer visitors and locals alike so I’m really chuffed it’s me that will be flicking that all important switch this year to help bring some festive cheer.”

Lytham Community Choir will open the entertainment for the official switch-on and they will be followed by Lytham dance school Dance Etc.

There will also be live performances from singers Scarlett Hackett, Mei Mei and Monroe, while local musicians and singer-songwriters Ike James, Daisy Atkinson and Edward Rhodes will also perform.

Party band 80s Rewind fronted by St Annes singer and former The Tailormade’s Jack Frimston will get everyone dancing, and Lytham’s very own The Coustics will headline following the official switch on by Steve.

Fylde Mayor Cllr Elaine Silverwood will be a special guest and will welcome everyone, while BBC Radio Lancashire’s Graham Liver will host the event.

Sign language interpreter Tony Redshaw will also be on stage throughout. A familiar face to Lytham, Tony most recently entertained the crowds at this summer’s WonderHall Festival with his sign language skills and accompanying dance moves.

And while the entertainment is taking place in Clifton Square, Father Christmas will lead a procession around Lytham setting off from the Assembly Rooms on Dicconson Terrace at 4pm.

Lytham Christmas Lights Switch-On is organised by Cllr Brenda Blackshaw with support from Lytham Business Partnership and a team of volunteers.

Cllr Blackshaw said: “We are thrilled with this year’s line-up as it will see Lytham presenting some of the best talent the Fylde and Lancashire has to offer.

“Steve Royle is the epitome of funny and is loved by children and adults alike so he is the perfect star to flick our switch.

“Added to that we have an incredible line-up of local performers who will sing, dance and make merry as we kick off the festive season in our beloved Lytham.”

The line-up announcement follows an appeal by organisers of Lytham Christmas for financial support from the public. It costs around £18,000 to stage the official Switch-On event with an additional £9,000 needed to keep the festive lights shining.

In past years, the Lytham Christmas committee, with support from Lytham Business Partnership, has successfully fundraised throughout the year while also receiving generous donations from businesses and individuals, both in the run up to and during the Switch-On event.

Restrictions on social gatherings have resulted in a gap in fundraising and with the Switch-On held as a virtual online event last year, there has been little opportunity for people to dig deep into their pockets to help out.

Lytham Christmas has launched a Go Fund Me page in the hope it will encourage people to financially support the free event and the lights which will shine until the end of January.

You can donate to the Go Fund Me page HERE

Past years have seen a string of stars officially flick the switch to light up Lytham including people’s tenor Russell Watson, musical theatre boyband Collabro, 80s pop star Sonia, 70s pop favourites, The Bay City Rollers, Britain’s Got Talent finalists Bring It North and Jonathan Antoine, TV actress Cheryl Fergison and most recently, ITV Dancing on Ice professional ice skater Daniel Whiston.

The event attracts crowds of around 5,000 people who gather to enjoy an afternoon of free entertainment from both local performers and household names.

To find out more about Lytham Christmas you can follow their Facebook page at facebook.com/LythamChristmas/ and to donate to Lytham Christmas go HERE

This Press Release was produced by Rhodes Media on behalf of Lytham Christmas.

For further information please contact: Sarah Rhodes, Rhodes Media

T: 01772 269890

E: sarah@rhodesmedia.com

Historic Lytham Square gets makeover as shoppers return to the high street

Fylde Council — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 13:56:29 +0000

Lytham’s historic Clifton Square is receiving a pre-Christmas spruce-up thanks to funding secured to encourage shoppers to return to the high street.

Fylde Borough Council successfully bid for £243,500 from the Government’s Welcome Back Fund which is providing councils across England a share of £56 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to support the nation’s high streets following the Covid-19 pandemic.

This funding, which builds on the £50 million Reopening High Street Safely Fund (RHSSF), aims to help local authorities create and promote a safe and welcoming environment for local trade and tourism.

Fylde Borough Council is using the money in a variety of ways including the funding of improvements to town centres, and financially supporting local business groups who are creating a range of events and activities that promote retail, hospitality and the visitor economy.

Working in conjunction with the Lytham Business Partnership, the council has begun improvement work in Clifton Square. Specialist contractors were out this week sanding and painting railings and lighting columns while the pavement will also be specially cleaned to enhance its look.

The Welcome Back Fund is also supporting public realm improvements in St Annes main shopping areas, with broken flagstones replaced, planting schemes rejuvenated and a general spring clean of the pavement surfaces.

Cllr Karen Buckley, leader of Fylde Borough Council, visited Clifton Square to meet contractor Gary Carr and his team as work began. Cllr Buckley said: “Our historic town centres are the heartbeat of our communities and, therefore, it is vitally important we do all we can to ensure they look their very best for both local residents and visitors.

“The funding secured through the Welcome Back Fund allows us to put in place additional measures to make improvements while promoting a safe environment for local trade and tourism.

“It is great to see the work now underway in Clifton Square and very soon in St Annes, where the focus will be on improving the main shopping areas.

“The pandemic hit our high streets and hospitality businesses extremely hard, so it is essential we not only spread the word that our town centres are back and open for business but that we support them in every way we can.”

Andrew Whitaker, executive member of Lytham Business Partnership and proprietor of the Mode hotel on Clifton Square, said: “Clifton Square is important for Lytham – being a focal point of the town and visited by so many thousands of people each year.

“It is absolutely vital the Square is kept in tip top condition as it reflects on the whole town, so it is good to see the Welcome Back Fund being used in such a way.

“Come the Spring, the town will be so vibrant with locals, visitors and outdoor diners and it will be fantastic for them to see the Square in all its glory.”

Together with the town centre improvement works, local business groups will be using the Welcome Back Fund to help promote local towns ahead of Christmas with the hope such activity will help improve the footfall in town centres from locals and visitors.

Kirkham Business Group plans to use £10,000 from the Welcome Back Fund to support its successful shop local Loyalty Card scheme. The town’s public realm is currently subject to major plans as part of a Fylde Borough Council-led £10m regeneration masterplan.

The funding can also be used to create events which attract more people to visit the Fylde coast.

One of the groups involved is the South Fylde Line Community Rail Partnership who are busy creating new activity trails and artwork which symbolises the importance of rail within the community, historically and going forwards.

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Fylde parks fly the flag as some of the country’s best parks

Fylde Council — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 05:00:40 +0000

In a record-breaking year for the National Green Flag Award Silver Jubilee, Fylde’s parks join 2127 other green spaces in celebrating their success today.

Several of Fylde’s parks and open spaces are raising a Green Flag Award. The award is the national quality mark for parks and green spaces.

Throughout the 2020 – 2021 pandemic, Fylde’s parks and green spaces have played a vital role for people to relax, exercise and safely meet friends and family.

News that 6 of Fylde’s parks and open spaces have achieved the prestigious award is testament to all the hard work and dedication by staff, community groups, businesses and partners.

Ashton Gardens, Elswick Village Hall and Garden, Fairhaven Lake and Garden, Lowther Gardens, Lytham War Memorial Garden and Promenade Gardens have joined green spaces as diverse as the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, Woodhouse Park in Peterlee and Chiswick Old Cemetery in London.

Councillor Michael Sayward, Chair of the Tourism and Leisure Committee for Fylde Council said: “We take enormous pride in Fylde’s green spaces and know how incredibly important they are for our residents and communities. A key priority for us is to continually enhance these areas through good management and investment. To receive recognition with 6 Green flag Awards, shows that all our hard work has paid off. I would like to thank our staff and wonderful partners for doing a great job of taking care of our spaces. I would also like to thank our residents for their support and continued use of Fylde’s fabulous outdoor assets.”

Commenting on the news of Fylde’s success on achieving the Green Flag Award standards, Green Flag Award Scheme Manager Paul Todd said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved in making these parks and open spaces worthy of a Green Flag Award.”

“To meet the requirements demanded by the scheme is testament to the hard work of the staff and volunteers who do so much to ensure that these parks and open spaces have high standards of horticulture, safety and environmental management and are places that support people to live healthy lives.”

The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.

In celebration of this year’s announcement, Green Flag Award is asking buildings and monuments around the UK to #GoGreenForParks today to show appreciation for the spaces that mean so much to people.

We will be joining the celebrations in Fylde by lighting Lytham Windmill green this Sunday.

A full list of Green Flag Award-winning parks and green spaces are available here

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Welcome to wellbeing with Let’s Feel Good Fylde

Fylde Council — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 11:49:28 +0000

Fylde Council will be focusing on mental wellbeing during the fourth week of its Let’s Feel Good Fylde initiative.

Health and Wellbeing Officer at Fylde Council, Edyta Paxton, has pulled together an online directory of services that can provide support and assistance to anyone who is experiencing poor mental health as well as information on friendship groups and volunteering opportunities.

From taking advantage of social prescribing services at Lytham St Annes Primary Care Network to connecting with Fylde’s own Laugh Live Love CIC and Just Good Friends groups, which promote the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual health and wellbeing of older people in Fylde, there are a multitude of organisations ready and waiting to help.

In addition, there are links to groups that can help with isolation as well as organisations that enable people to get involved in volunteering to boost their self esteem and get them out and about in the community.

Edyta Paxton has been working to ensure that people can easily access support when they need it. She said: “Looking after our mental health has been more important than ever before during the last 18 months as we all navigated very stressful and unfamiliar situations.

“From feelings of anxiety and fear to being isolated from those we love and not being able to do what we enjoy; the pandemic was a massive challenge for everyone.

“As part of our Let’s Feel Good Fylde initiative we think it is important to address and acknowledge how mental wellbeing can have a huge impact on our physical wellbeing, so we have pulled together a list of all the wonderful organisations that can help.

“From support services to groups that can signpost you to places where you can meet new people and get involved with volunteering, there is something for everyone.

“There are lots of ways that people can take some initial steps to improve their mental health, and one of the easiest and quickest is to get outside in the fresh air and really appreciate the stunning beaches, parks, green spaces and beautiful scenery here in Fylde.

“Taking up charitable work or getting involved with local groups carrying out litter picking are another great way to boost your esteem, helping others really does give you a huge sense of pride.

“We would welcome suggestions and additions to the webpage so we can ensure that it is as comprehensive as possible.

“The Let’s Feel Good Fylde campaign has allowed us to raise awareness of organisations and groups that are dedicated to helping the people of our wonderful borough and this week’s wellbeing focus is an integral part of that help.

“Next week will see the Fylde Sports Festival burst into life in the borough and I can’t wait to see everyone having a great time!”

For more information about Let’s Feel Good Fylde, including links to the new Mental Health and Wellbeing support page, the Fylde’s Sports Directory, Weekly Timetable, parks and coastal information and much more, please visit www.fylde.gov.uk/feelgoodfylde

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Fylde Council seeks your views on re-starting sand extraction from St Annes Beach

Fylde Council — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 11:42:52 +0000

The Council has launched a public consultation to gain feedback as part of the process to begin sand extraction at St Annes beach again.

Sand extraction from the beach has been in operation since the 1970s. The operational access is via a track to the beach off Clifton Drive North near Thursby Nursing Home and Dune Point where there is a small, fenced compound.

Sand that it is taken off-site is used locally in the manufacture of ready-mix concrete products for use in housebuilding and major construction / infrastructure projects. The site itself has over the years become a very important regional supplier of sand over the time it has been operating, particularly due to the diminishing reserves of land won sand and gravel within Lancashire.

The operation now requires fresh planning permission from Lancashire County Council (LCC) and a Marine Management Organisation (MMO) Licence to allow it to restart.

Following an initial meeting between Fylde Borough Council (FBC) officers and LCC in January 2020 to explain the background to the scheme and seek feedback from LCC officers, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping exercise was undertaken with LCC and the MMO. Assessment work has since been progressing during 2021. The Council now wish to seek your views on the proposals.

Councillor Karen Buckley, Leader of Fylde Council said:

“Once again we would like to gain the views and feedback of our residents across Fylde to be included as part of the evaluation of re-starting sand extraction from the beach here in St Annes.

Sand extraction has taken place for many years; however, we would like to ensure that if it continues it is in the best interests of everyone involved. This includes ensuring the income from the Licence is re-invested across the Fylde Borough.

Questions within the survey include important matters such as the operational times of the extraction, as well as finding out if you have been affected in any way previously by the sand extraction scheme.

All feedback will be considered as part of the scheme going forward and I would strongly encourage everyone to have their say on the matter.”

The survey is available at www.fylde.gov.uk/consultation. There is also the opportunity for you to submit any other comments you wish to in advance of the scheme being finalised and submitted to LCC and the MMO later this year.

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Fylde Council and Audibant Mobile

Fylde Council — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 11:11:26 +0000

When Fylde Council were looking to improve their communication channels to help promote a range of activities and events, they discovered a brand-new pioneering system, which is now taking bookings across the country.

With the impact of COVID, the landscape has changed, and events are run and managed differently. Government guidelines now recommend using clear signage and PA/audio announcements to provide additional information to attendees and to reinforce crowd movement messaging.

For Kirkham based Audiebant Mobile this was a case of simply adapting technology they have successfully rolled out to local authorities and the NHS for almost 30 years. And despite the country coming out of a pandemic and an evolving economic landscape, the chase for new business is going from strength to strength.

Allan Oldfield, Chief Executive of Fylde Council said: “We are always looking at new and innovative ways to promote and safely operate our wide range of leisure events and venues.

“The Audiebant Mobile system enables us to communicate clear safety messages across and information about what is available on the day at our range of events.

“We had full control of what information was announced and this was recorded for us in advance exactly how we wanted it, but the text-to-voice technology also gave us the ability to handle any emergency.”

As post-pandemic normality returns, numerous changes are in place at leisure events from a safety perspective with one-way systems in place at entrances and exits, social distancing, hand sanitising stations at entrances and QR code scanning; all can be communicated to customers and event attendees via the Audiebant Mobile system.

And from an economic point of view, it pays for itself by having sponsorship for the business or authority on the actual unit and in advertisements that can be pre-recorded and played out.

Audiebant Mobile Commercial Director Josh Dean said: “We are delighted with our partnership with Fylde Council, and we have worked closely with them to ensure the everything is done for their specific needs.

“We are delighted with their feedback and we hope this will be of interest to many other local authorities, safety groups and businesses.

“Our system is highly adaptable and the built-in text-to-voice technology allows any emergency situation to be catered for at the flick of a switch.”

Audiebant Mobile was recently hired in by the R&A for The Open Golf Championship at Royal St Georges. Around 32,000 people per day attended and whilst closing the event each day, they had problems with the public being moved off-site efficiently. Audiebant Mobile achieved this and much more including promoting future events, food and drink, and merchandise.

In summary, the Audiebant Mobile system is:

Ability to generate income via branding on unit and creation of audio advertisements
Completely mobile and easy to manoeuvre
Sustainable working off solar energy
Loaded with both pre-recorded and pre-timed announcements dependent on the time of day
Innovative with text-to-voice AI technology to broadcast messages within 20-seconds
The ultimate sound experience. With access to over 300 voice-over artists and the best producers, your announcements always sound first class

More information can be found at www.audiebantmobile.co.uk

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Environment Agency gives green light for funding towards St Annes Sea Wall project

Fylde Council — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 12:57:44 +0000

Early this week the Environment Agency has approved a £12.1M fund towards the regeneration of the St Annes sea wall.

The replacement aims to reduce the risk of coastal erosion and flooding to over 500 properties and businesses over the next 100 years and involves replacing the existing 660m long seawall around the Island site in St Annes.

The site also being a strategic headland means it will also manage the coastal risk to the natural dune and beach defences to the north and south over the same time period.

The existing seawall is currently in a poor condition and is now at the end of its design life. Having been first constructed in 1935 the crest level is low resulting in frequent overtopping, flooding and damage to the seawall and promenade.

With climate change and future sea level rises, the frequency and severity of overtopping and flooding is predicted to worsen, meaning action needs to be taken imminently to protect those homes and businesses in the area.

Councillor Roger Small, Chair of the Operation Management Committee for Fylde Council Said: “I am delighted that the council has received approval with the necessary financial support for this important infrastructure scheme. The new sea wall project will first and foremost provide security from rising sea levels for the next 100 years, but as we have seen with our other sea wall enhancements, it will bring in extra revenues from increased visitors and users.

I would also like to stress that this has been achieved by modelling the scheme so as to retain the much loved attractions.

Finally this is the opening investment in the St Anne’s regeneration projects that will ensure the town has a good future.”.

Andrew Shore, Area Coastal Engineer for the Environment Agency, said

“We look forward to working with Fylde Council to help deliver this ambitious project over the next few years that will to continue to protect over 500 properties and businesses in the area from flooding and coastal erosion”.

The project follows the success of the Fairhaven to Church Scar sea wall project which completed in 2020.

This previous project, which stretches from Fairhaven Lake to Church Scar promenade adjacent Seafield Road, Lytham, was designed to protect up to 2,400 properties from coastal erosion and flooding. Work began on site in 2018 after previous defences which were built in the late 1890s were identified as being in a failing condition, requiring emergency repairs to be financed every year to prevent a breach and coastal erosion.

Works on the St Annes sea defences could begin as soon as January 2023 and be completed by August 2024, and meetings with stakeholders, and public exhibitions of the works proposed will be held before any works begin.

For regular updates and information regarding the project visit https://www.discoverfylde.co.uk/stannesseawall/

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Plenty Of Chills And Thrills In Store As Kirkham Gets Set For Halloween

Fylde Council — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 11:58:55 +0000

Pimped-up pumpkins, ghoulish tales and all manner of ghostly goings on are in store as Kirkham gets ready for a spooktacular Halloween.

The Fylde town’s Cultural Consortium is hosting a series of events to celebrate the most haunting time of the year.

They include inviting creative minds of all ages to design their very own heritage-inspired pumpkin which will feature in a special display in the town centre during the half-term break.

Pumpkin designs can be inspired by any part of Kirkham’s rich history dating back to Roman times, textile mills, the war years, Club Days as well as celebrating the town’s sporting successes or even one of the town’s former nightspots.

And the Cultural Consortium is also hosting a “virtual campfire” event for people to share their ghostly experiences from the comfort of their own home.

Have you seen a ghost or do you live in a haunted house? Have ghostly goings-on or phantom folktales about Kirkham been passed down through your family?

If so, gather around the virtual campfire on Tuesday October 26, at 7pm – together with North West-based artists Liz Chapman and Dustin Lyon – and share your spooky stories.

The artists are hoping to use these stories within an exciting art installation at the heart of Kirkham later on in the year.

The events are all part of activities created by the Consortium’s Kirkham Treasures project which was formed as part of Kirkham’s status as one of Historic England’s High Street Heritage Action Zones (HS HAZ).

Helen Juste, Kirkham Cultural Consortium’s Cultural Producer, said: “Halloween is one of those times of year that appeals to all ages. From youngsters trick or treating and carving pumpkins to those who love frightening their friends and family with a good ghost story!

“Kirkham is a really historic town with plenty of folklore and tales from the past. We wanted to tap into that and create some events that everyone could take part in.

“All the pumpkins designed and created will feature in a special display in the town centre while the virtual campfire event will give people the chance to come together and share some ghost stories which will, in turn, help inspire an exciting art installation at the heart of Kirkham later on in the year.”

Pumpkins – which can either be carved or painted – can be delivered to the former TSB Bank, 52A Poulton Street (next to Serendipity House) on Saturday October 23 or Wednesday October 27, between 1pm and 4pm.

You can also share a photograph of your creation to the Kirkham Treasures Facebook page or email it to submissions@kirkhamtreasures.co.uk for a chance to win a high street shopping voucher worth up to £50.

A fun pumpkin design and create event will be held in Market Square, Kirkham, on Saturday October 23 – between 1pm and 4pm – when artists Andy Shaw and Sharon Kelly will be on hand to give handy hints and tips about how to create a Halloween masterpiece!

This virtual campfire event – hosted via Zoom – is aimed at an older audience, but families are more than welcome to join. To book your free ticket to listen or share a story: https://shadowytalesstrangestories.eventbrite.co.uk

The HS HAZ Cultural Programme, led by Historic England, in partnership with Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, aims to make high streets more attractive, engaging, and vibrant places for people to live, work and spend time.

The £80,000 grant awarded to Kirkham will enable the town’s Cultural Consortium to deliver:

A programme of creative art-based commissions – each inspired by Kirkham’s richly diverse heritage
The creation of an interactive heritage trail focusing on listed buildings and historic local stories
A series of town centre murals that will animate and illuminate Kirkham’s industrial past
The development of an annual heritage event, with imaginative displays, which will provide visitors with the opportunity to travel back in time, while sampling delicious local food and drink
Create a base for ‘Artists in Residence’ – showcasing artwork created by both artists and individuals who take part in a series of activities.

It is hoped the programme of events and initiatives will not only inspire local creativity but improve health and wellbeing through increased community and social engagement.

And if you are interested in joining Kirkham’s Cultural Consortium and help shape the cultural vision for the town email helen.juste@positiveplacemakers.org.uk