PHOTOS: Burnley shouts about success as ‘most enterprising town’

Burnley opera singer Sean Ruane sang from the rooftops to proclaim the town’s award of “Most Enterprising Area in the UK”.

Scores of business leaders, politicians and media gathered outside the impressive Burnley College UCLan campus in Princess Way to celebrate the accolade bestowed by the Government.

And tenor Sean, who this summer has been inspiring the nation’s cricketers with renditions of “Jerusalem” before Ashes test matches, provided the rousing backdrop – from the college rooftop – to Burnley’s own success story.

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The college itself was adorned with the huge logo proclaiming Burnley as the Most Enterprising Area.

The Burnley Express revealed on Tuesday that Burnley had been selected as the winner of the Enterprising Britain Awards, a competition organised by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Judges were impressed by the partnership work of Burnley Borough Council and Burnley Bondholders scheme of local business leaders who had helped to “successfully reframe perceptions” of the town.

Among the throng gathered at the Rainbow Gate sculpture outside the college were Tony Blair’s former director of communications Alastair Campbell and national broadcaster Tony Livesey.

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Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle said: “This is brilliant news. We hear so much about Burnley’s industrial heritage and history but this is about the future.

“This is the Burnley I’ve been telling colleagues in Government about for the last three years.

“We have fantastic companies at the cutting edge in aerospace and engineering. I know the Business Secretary Vince Cable has been hugely impressed by what he has seen and heard of our businesses.”

Council leader Coun. Julie Cooper said: “It was a wonderful occasion to mark the wonderful news that Burnley is leading the way when it comes to enterprise, particularly when it comes to high-tech manufacturing and innovation.”

More on Burnley’s success in Friday’s Express ...

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