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:
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.
5. James Anderson, founder of DEPHER CIC UK
He is the "UK's kindest plumber" who has gone from being £18,000 in debt to a Pride of Britain winner. The Burnley dad founded DEPHER CIC UK in 2017 after giving a free boiler to an elderly and bed-bound man who was the target of a £5,000 scam. After six years of providing free plumbing work to elderly and disabled people, James Anderson will receive a British Citizen Award in Westminster this week. James, formerly of Liverpool, said: "When I first came to Burnley, I didn’t think a place like this existed, but once you look at the core community, it’s beautiful." He says people are "kind, robust, gentle," and passionate about sticking up for themselves. The town proves "you don’t need a million pounds in the bank to be a good human being. It doesn’t need pageantry. That's what made me fall in love with Burnley. If I hadn’t moved here, Depher wouldn’t exist. "Going forward, I will champion Burnley into every corner of the earth." After his work went viral, an anonymous donor paid off all his debts. Depher even has a fan in Hollywood superstar Hugh Grant, who has donated more than £50,000 to the cause. Since then, it has opened a two-floor town centre support hub in Keirby Walk with a community food drive offering an average of £3,800 in discounted essentials to 827 Burnley families a week. The social enterprise also helped nearly 1,000 households pay for gas and electricity last Christmas. But demand for support from Depher has grown by around 80% in the past six years, and James fears the food drive will close without more funding. Photo: Kelvin Stuttard
6. Dave Fishwick, Bank of Dave star
This self-made millionaire battled London's elite for the first new banking licence in over 100 years. Born poor, David Fishwick became a household name after his mission to set up a new community bank - later called Burnley Savings and Loans - inspired a smash-hit Netflix film starring Bond actor Rory Kinnear. Even the Prime Minister praised the trailblazer after the film hit TV screens globally. Rishi Sunak said community banks like Dave's play a "vital role" in allowing people to access affordable loans and have inspired the Government to make it quicker and easier for new banks to enter the market. The Burnley businessman made his fortune after setting up David Fishwick Minibus Sales in Colne in 2003. Following the 2008 financial crisis, Dave began lending money to customers after banks refused them loans. Despite having no banking experience, he opened Bank on Dave! in 2011. It is based on a local model of dealing with customers case by case, with any profits going back into community causes like food banks. Netflix now wishes to make a sequel focusing on his fight against payday loan lenders, and he was named Burnley Ambassador at the Above & Beyond Awards in March for spotlighting the town. Photo: Kelvin Stuttard
7. Anthony Higginbotham, Burnley MP
He is the first Conservative MP in Burnley in 109 years. Anthony Higginbotham, who believes the borough "was always last on the list in Westminster", has been campaigning since the 2019 election to level up our town centre, policing, education, healthcare, and transport systems with a fair share of investment. The politician has worked with East Lancashire NHS Trust to secure two new endoscopy rooms at Burnley General Hospital, state-of-the-art breast cancer screening equipment, and the introduction of surgical robots. He has also helped secure £32m. in Levelling Up Funding to drive students, football fans, and professionals into the town centre to support its hospitality businesses. The funding will help make Town 2 Turf a reality. The project aims to transform the link between the town centre and Turf Moor as part of a “regeneration corridor” from the Weavers’ Triangle and to improve pedestrian safety. The latest round of Levelling Up funding, announced in January, will further enhance our transport network. Bus stops will display real-time passenger information about services for the first time. And Burnley Bus Station and Manchester Road Railway Station will have transport hubs. In addition, the money will create new "liveable neighbourhoods" in areas needing regeneration. Photo: Submit
8. Coun. Afrasiab Anwar, leader of Burnley Council
His vision is to transform Burnley into a university town. The leader of Burnley Council spearheads a mission to increase the town's UCLan student numbers from 200 to 4,000 by 2025. Coun. Anwar helped secure around £20m. in Levelling Up Funding to turn historic buildings like Newtown Mill into state-of-the-art student facilities thanks to The Town Centre and Canalside Masterplan, adopted in 2018. The Burnley Labour Party leader, who represents Bank Hall, said: "We want to work on delivering and consolidating our masterplan and make sure we attract new businesses, drive the economy and invest in skills and jobs.” The Canalside Campus includes a massive expansion in medical course provision, 140-bed student accommodation in Sandygate Square, a new campus library and student union space. The multi-million-pound revamp of the derelict Newtown Mill in the Weavers Triangle in Queen's Lancashire Way will create 35,000sq ft of space to accommodate cutting-edge teaching facilities and a business/enterprise zone. Coun. Anwar says the makeover will help meet Burnley's existing and emerging gaps in skills and develop the next generation of key workers in areas like medicine, policing and social work. The council has also bought Charter Walk Shopping Centre, while the final jewel in the crown is the upcoming Pioneer Place, a leisure development with a multi-screen cinema and five new restaurants. It hopes Pioneer Place will bring extra footfall and public pride in the town centre, while supporting other businesses. Photo: Submit