Reporting Back: Oliver Ryan MP Burnley, Padiham and Brierfield: It's all go, go, go!

Our towns are thriving with a rich blend of local businesses, vibrant arts, culture, education, and a truly supportive community spirit. There is so much to be proud of here, and today, I’d like to highlight some of the incredible people and organisations I’ve had the pleasure of meeting recently.

I had the privilege of sitting down with Burnley FC in the Community, an organisation doing incredible work not only in Burnley but also in surrounding areas. Football lies at the heart of our community, and the amazing efforts of BFC in the Community—through initiatives in football, education, and welfare—are creating opportunities and a genuine sense of belonging for thousands of people.

One of their most impressive schemes is encouraging the take up of STEM subjects in our schools and encouraging our young people to aspire for the best. It was an honour to meet the dedicated team and express my gratitude for their hard work. Their commitment is making a real difference in people’s lives, and their ongoing contribution to our towns deserves to be celebrated.

Another remarkable charity I visited the other week based in Burnley is Emmaus, founded by my predecessor Peter Pike MP, which offers invaluable support to individuals facing homelessness, recovery from drug and alcohol dependence, and a fresh start in a positive, nurturing environment. Their work is transformative, providing people with the tools to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope. I want to support more of their work.

I also had the pleasure of meeting the team at D&M Creative, a graphic design business that started in a small back bedroom in Burnley and has since expanded to serve major businesses across the UK. It’s a true testament to the talent and entrepreneurial spirit we have here in Burnley, and I’m immensely proud to see a business from our town making waves on the national stage.

Creative and communication industries are taking off in Burnley, Padiham and Brierfield, in part because of our talent, but also because of our ‘get up and go’ Lancashire spirit of entrepreneurialism.

Some of you may have already seen that we had the honour of hosting Alex Norris MP, the Minister for Local Growth and Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Housing, Communities, and Local Government. Burnley is home to outstanding further education institutions like Burnley College and UCLan, and we’re proud to have state-of-the-art facilities to deliver this education.

During the visit, I had the opportunity to show the Minister exactly why Burnley is such a great place to invest. With the right support, we have the potential to build and grow, but this isn’t just about asking for handouts, it’s about strategically planning our interests especially for regeneration of our town centre, canal side and ex-industrial brownfield land. In part, I wanted the Minister to see that Burnley is a place that not only money can be invested, but plans too, and people. We deliver, our businesses deliver, and with the right support, we can grow.

We have the drive and determination to make the most of these opportunities, and I’m confident that with the right investment, we’ll make Burnley an even better place to live and work. I’ll always continue to champion our towns and fight for the resources we need, as indeed every MP for our town must. I know politics is about more than just buildings, its about people.

But I won’t ever rely on the past successes of Labour in Burnley: rebuilding every school, every public building, town centre public realm funding, building Burnley College and the St Peter’s Centre, bringing UCLAN to Burnley and more. We have to fight for the future too, and the next phase of our success.

I had Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw here last week, and some Lancashire Police top brass, for a walk around Burnley Town Centre, crime and anti-social behaviour is a serious issue and I’m serious about tackling it. Not least because it holds back potential investors from doing more in our town.

Aside from that, I’ve visited FH Brundle, Rectella, BooHoo, our local ASDA, Padiham's Tesco’s and even opened Burnley Tesco’s new cafe with the Mayor last week, I also met with farmers from Briercliffe and Burnley with the NFU. I love meeting local businesses, mainly to see what they do and to hear about their experiences and needs from Government and indeed from me as an MP. I’ve been to Padiham Primary, Worsthorne Primary and Heasandford Primary to speak to students and staff about everything from politics and democracy to the state of school buildings.

Finally, I had the pleasure of attending a fantastic production by Burnley Light Opera Society at Burnley Mechanics. As a long-time musical fan (and former theatre kid, doing panto every Xmas, which prepares you for Parliament!), I’ve been eagerly looking forward to this event. The performance was outstanding—a true showcase of the incredible talent we have in Burnley and the surrounding areas. A big congratulations to everyone involved, and I look forward to future productions!

As always, if you would like to get in touch with me, whether for help with an issue or to share your thoughts, please don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected] or call 01282 216398. My office is also open for walk-ins Monday to Thursday from 10am to 2pm, and Friday by appointment only. I will also be hosting more surgeries in the near future, so please keep an eye out for the dates and times.

Until next time, onward we go, almost Christmas!

Oliver