Manchester Evening News wrote in April that the town is having a moment in the sun following the release of the smash-hit Netflix film Bank of Dave.
The Dave Fishwick biopic showed the world that we are fun, friendly, and down-to-earth.
Five days later, the Prime Minister visited the area to see how £32m. Government investment will transform our town centre, education, healthcare, and transport systems.
PM Rishi Sunak echoed the MEN, saying: “There is so much happening in Burnley”.
In May, the magnificent champions parade marked a historic season for the Clarets. It was amazing to see thousands of football fans lining the streets from the town hall to Turf Moor to celebrate the team they had supported through thick and thin.
And with the rich and famous publicly expressing their love for the town - Dave Fishwick, Jordan North, JJ Watt, King Charles, even Snoop Dog - you could say Burnley is developing a name for itself globally.
We agree with American NFL legend JJ, who said, “the people here are incredible”. The borough is glowing. It is an exciting time to live and work here.
Of course, it still has issues, like every other town in the UK post-pandemic. Addiction and poverty seem more visible than I remembered since moving back home last year, particularly in the town centre. It was heart-breaking to learn that nearly a quarter of children - 4,803 - are so poor their families cannot afford food and shelter, and it is sad that at least 10 food banks serve the area.
Antisocial behaviour is another problem facing most towns and regularly needs nipping in the bud. Police have tackled 1,613 cases of ASB in Burnley in the past three years. It is the most common crime, comprising 34.2% of reports, followed by violence/sexual offences (19.5%) and shoplifting (19.4%).
But we also have many inspiring people trying to tackle these issues and stop their neighbours from falling through the cracks. When the pandemic and cost of living crisis hit, residents pulled together.
The first Above and Beyond Awards in March was a fantastic example of this and another moment of town pride. Take the team behind Burnley Community Grocery - named the Food Champion - which has opened its second support hub to stop people from going hungry.
While we aim to celebrate as many of our local heroes as possible, there are too many to mention at once. So here are just nine of our Burnley champions helping to move the town forward:
1. Vincent Kompany, manager of Burnley FC
The manager of Burnley FC has led the Clarets back to the Premier League in his first season in charge. Vincent Kompany, who has four Premier League titles with Manchester City under his belt as an ex-player, helped Burnley finish 10 points above runners-up Sheffield United and 21 above third-place Luton Town. Under Kompany, the club lost just three times and finished the season on 101 points. The historic victory has helped heal the wounds of demotion 12 months ago after six years in the Premier League. There is perhaps no better measurement of the pride and togetherness that the 37-year-old Belgian has brought to Burnley than the thousands of people descending on the town centre to witness the club's promotion parade. Kompany, named EFL Championship Manager of the Year 2023, continues to lead Burnley FC, having signed a new five-year deal. Photo: Matt McNulty
2. JJ Watt, NFL legend and Burnley FC stakeholder
He is the American NFL legend banging the drum for Burnley across the pond. The one-time Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year is a new Burnley Football Club investor. JJ Watt, who has won three NFL Defensive Player of the Year Awards, visited the town in March to watch the club win 3-0 against Wigan. Two months later, he and his wife, Kealia, a former Houston Dash and Chicago Red Stars football player, confirmed their formal involvement with the Clarets. The sporting superstars returned to the town to enjoy its final game of the season and join the champions' trophy parade. JJ (34), who retired from playing last year, called our people “incredible” for their welcoming nature, with his passion for the town catching the attention of the US press. Photo: Gareth Copley
3. Pastor Mick Fleming, founder of Church on the Street
He is a former addict and drug dealer who turned his back on crime after finding God. Pastor Mick Fleming, pictured (right) with Jeremy Vine on the journalist's BBC Radio 2 lunchtime programme, founded Church on the Street in Burnley to help the impoverished, addicted, and homeless. Trauma from being raped in his youth by a stranger and losing his older sister led him to drugs, and a life of crime helped feed his habit. One day, working as a drug dealer and waiting to shoot a man who came out of a gym with his two small children, he had a spiritual epiphany that led him to God and a mission to help the most vulnerable. During this mission, Pastor Mick came across the man who sexually assaulted him and helped him recover from alcoholism and reunite with his family. He then caught the attention of the Royals when 50 million people watched a BBC news report about his work delivering necessities to desperate Burnley families during the pandemic. Support came from Prince William, who visited the charity last year and even wrote the foreword to Pastor Mick's Amazon best-selling autobiography. While the charity offers a food bank, counselling, medical care, an addiction support group, and more, locally, the pastor has also used his platform to keep the town's struggles with poverty, addiction, and homelessness in the global headlines and strengthen its connections with the royals. As a result, the charity has expanded into a second building. Photo: Submit
![She has spent 25 years in addiction and a decade in recovery - and now leads a "UK-first" rehab.
Pastor Emma Daggers will launch Church on the Street's Recovery Academy in September in its newly acquired building in Bethesda Street.
The pastor says it will be “the first in the UK” based around Christian principles to offer free tailored support with early mental health assessment, trauma therapy, daytime community-based rehab, plus agency links, all in one place. She will meet addicts in their environment and bring them to COTS.
“[Professionals] can’t reach these guys. They don’t know where they are and expect them to come to them, but they won't keep appointments [while in addiction].
“They get struck off because they miss appointments and have no healthcare. We have lived experience, so we meet them where they are, not where you want them to be.”
Pastor Emma works with schools and prisons to create programs helping to keep young people on the right path and "break the cycle" of reoffending.
The programmes "lead people back into a community where they belong, where they can learn to believe in, and be a part of something bigger than themselves.
“Prisoners are all desperate for hope. That's what everyone needs.”
The academy builds on COTS' "profound" initial work around addiction, which founder Pastor Mick Fleming claims has a 70 to 80% success rate, even helping people enter the workforce and university.
It also offers a women’s group allowing mums to attend daytime rehab without leaving their families. The number of females seeking support has doubled since the announcement.
Pastor Mick said: "Women are more isolated by addiction. They are scared to death of social services finding out they take drugs, so they don’t get help but eventually lose their children.
"It’s horrendous. Women should be free to speak out, or their children suffer even more."](https://www.burnleyexpress.net/webimg/b25lY21zOjNkZTMwN2M5LTZmZGYtNDcxYy1hYzk0LWJjMTVjYjZmYTNiYjpmYTFhNjE0NS01ODUwLTQ0ZWMtYTZjZS1jNjY2MGU2ZWQzODg=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
4. Pastor Emma Daggers, leader of the COTS Recovery Academy
She has spent 25 years in addiction and a decade in recovery - and now leads a "UK-first" rehab. Pastor Emma Daggers will launch Church on the Street's Recovery Academy in September in its newly acquired building in Bethesda Street. The pastor says it will be “the first in the UK” based around Christian principles to offer free tailored support with early mental health assessment, trauma therapy, daytime community-based rehab, plus agency links, all in one place. She will meet addicts in their environment and bring them to COTS. “[Professionals] can’t reach these guys. They don’t know where they are and expect them to come to them, but they won't keep appointments [while in addiction]. “They get struck off because they miss appointments and have no healthcare. We have lived experience, so we meet them where they are, not where you want them to be.” Pastor Emma works with schools and prisons to create programs helping to keep young people on the right path and "break the cycle" of reoffending. The programmes "lead people back into a community where they belong, where they can learn to believe in, and be a part of something bigger than themselves. “Prisoners are all desperate for hope. That's what everyone needs.” The academy builds on COTS' "profound" initial work around addiction, which founder Pastor Mick Fleming claims has a 70 to 80% success rate, even helping people enter the workforce and university. It also offers a women’s group allowing mums to attend daytime rehab without leaving their families. The number of females seeking support has doubled since the announcement. Pastor Mick said: "Women are more isolated by addiction. They are scared to death of social services finding out they take drugs, so they don’t get help but eventually lose their children. "It’s horrendous. Women should be free to speak out, or their children suffer even more." Photo: Kelvin Stuttard