Marking 90 Years of Service to Burnley, Pendle & Rossendale

In a world that has grown increasingly complex, uncertain, and at times fragmented, the role of community has taken on new weight.

For BPRCVS, community has never been a buzzword, but a bedrock principle. Over the last 90 years, from the Great Depression to the Digital Age, its commitment to grassroots care and collaboration has remained unchanged.

The 2010s were a decade of paradoxes. On one hand, we saw unprecedented technological advancement - smartphones in every pocket, instant access to global knowledge, social media bringing us closer (and sometimes further apart).

​On the other, many people across East Lancashire and beyond were experiencing a growing sense of disconnection, marginalisation, and economic strain.

Years of austerity measures had left deep cuts in public services. Youth centres closed. Libraries became quiet echoes of themselves. Mental health services were stretched to breaking point. For many, poverty was no longer a temporary condition, but a chronic state exacerbated by insecure work, food and housing insecurity.

It was in this climate that BPRCVS remained not only relevant, but vital. The organisation did what it had always done find the gaps and quietly, diligently fill them. It offered a warm welcome to the isolated, practical help to the struggling, and a route back to confidence for those who had fallen through society’s cracks.

What made BPRCVS different wasn’t just the range of services it offered it was the spirit in which they were delivered. In a decade defined by algorithms and automation, BPRCVS doubled down on what makes humans whole: conversation, connection, kindness. A car journey offered by a Communicars volunteer became a moment of companionship. A support session for young carers became a space where a child who carried the weight of the world could, for once, put it down.

The early 2020s brought with them a global reckoning. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed how fragile many of our systems really were but it also reminded us how powerful local networks could be. While national headlines focused on case numbers and lockdowns, organisations like BPRCVS were delivering food parcels, conducting welfare checks, facilitating online workshops, and keeping spirits up. For the elderly person living alone in Padiham, the single mother shielding in Brierfield, the carer burnt out in Bacup BPRCVS was often the first knock on the door, or the only phone call that day.

Yet the organisation didn’t simply react it evolved. It embraced digital transformation, not as a replacement for human touch, but as a tool to extend its reach. Social media became a way to tell untold stories. Online referrals and Zoom consultations opened access for those who could not travel. And through it all, the person remained central.

Looking back across the long arc of history from the food queues of the 1930s, through the ration books of the 1940s, the rebuilding spirit of the 1950s, the social revolutions of the 1960s and 70s, and into the rapidly modernising decades that followed it becomes clear that BPRCVS has been more than an organisation.

​It has been a witness to history, and a participant in shaping it.

It has adapted to nationalisation, globalisation, digitalisation and still come back to the same truth: that the best answers often begin at the local level, among people who care enough to act.

As we stand in 2025, reflecting on 90 years of service, the phrase “helping people to help others” is not a slogan it’s a promise fulfilled time and time again. A promise made by the founders of the Burnley Citizens’ Guild in 1935, when they spoke of “personal service” and “civic responsibility.” A promise renewed in every volunteer’s act of kindness, every small group funded and mentored, every person whose life was made a little lighter because someone at BPRCVS picked up the phone, knocked on the door, or said: “We’re here to help.”
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And perhaps the most extraordinary thing? That this promise endures not in grand gestures, but in the quiet, daily work of keeping people connected, supported, and seen. It is in these small, persistent acts of care that real community is built not just once, but over and over again.

The BPRCVS Volunteer Centre has long been the beating heart of volunteering across Burnley, Pendle, and Rossendale. From 2010 through the early 2020s, it has exemplified what it means to “help people to help others,” forging pathways for individuals to contribute, belong, and thrive within their communities. Over more than a decade, the Centre has quietly transformed lives, boosted local organisations, and generated substantial social and economic value often against the odds of austerity, shifting social landscapes, and most recently, a global pandemic.

Between 2014 and 2016 alone, the Volunteer Centre facilitated nearly 2,300 volunteer referrals, registered dozens of new organisations, and created hundreds of volunteering opportunities, reflecting a sustained and growing network that brought new energy to East Lancashire’s voluntary sector.
This work was anchored by dedicated staff whose focus went far beyond administration to building genuine relationships with volunteers and groups.
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Outreach efforts flourished under this ethos, with the Centre regularly engaging the public in libraries, supermarkets, colleges, and job centre bringing volunteering into everyday spaces and inspiring new generations of volunteers. For example, freshers’ fairs consistently attracted dozens to the volunteering cause, while supermarket outreach in Colne and Haslingden reached hundreds with the message of community involvement.

The Centre also played a pivotal role in safeguarding and supporting volunteer-involving organisations. Over the years, it processed hundreds of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) applications 314 in 2016–17 alone and provided vital training on safeguarding, volunteer supervision, and specialised skills.

The 2015–16 training programme served over 230 learners, underscoring the Centre’s dedication to equipping volunteers and coordinators alike.

Volunteering roles coordinated through the Centre were both diverse and indispensable. Volunteer drivers alone contributed more than 7,000 hours annually in some years, facilitating vital transport for those isolated or with mobility challenges.

Administrative volunteers, connectors, activity helpers, and community café teams rounded out a wide spectrum of roles that powered local services and enriched lives. The sheer scale of this work was clear in economic terms as well: volunteer contributions added over £115,000 of value to the local economy by 2019–20, a figure that reflected both hours given and lives touched.

Annual celebrations such as National Volunteers Week became much-anticipated fixtures, fostering community pride and cross-sector collaboration. These events, held simultaneously in Burnley, Pendle, and Rossendale, brought together dozens of organisations from health and social care groups to animal welfare charities and hundreds of local people, reinforcing the vibrant, interconnected nature of volunteering in the area.

The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges, forcing the Volunteer Centre to swiftly adapt to remote working and digital engagement.

Yet even amid lockdowns, the Centre remained a lifeline, coordinating welfare checks, online training, and volunteer support to ensure that isolated and vulnerable community members continued to receive care and connection. This adaptability reaffirmed BPRCVS’s foundational belief in meeting people where they are and offering practical, compassionate help.
Building on this legacy, BPRCVS launched its latest evolution in volunteering support: the Volunteering for Wellbeing & Community Hub in July 2023.

This new initiative revitalises the spirit and function of the Volunteer Centre by providing a brokerage service that connects individuals with volunteering opportunities across the voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise (VCFSE) sectors throughout Lancashire.
In its first three quarters, the Hub recruited 40 new volunteers into BPRCVS projects and services and supported 34 unique groups and organisations with their volunteering needs.

The Hub goes beyond recruitment by actively engaging the community through monthly forums that focus on different themes relevant to volunteering. These informal gatherings foster conversation, share best practice, and keep volunteering a current and evolving conversation in the local area.

Importantly, BPRCVS was among the very first organisations awarded the new National Association of Community and Voluntary Action’s (NAVCA) Volunteer Centre Quality Accreditation kite mark, solidifying its position as the only externally accredited Volunteer Centre in East Lancashire. The original Centre’s and now the Hub’s commitment is not just to volume but to quality, evidenced by its consistent achievement of the Volunteer Quality Accreditation (VCQA) for outstanding practice in volunteer management a distinction BPRCVS proudly continues to hold.

Volunteers remain integral not only to community-facing projects but also to the daily operations of BPRCVS itself. From reception and administrative roles contributing over 2,000 hours annually, to cooking and serving meals in the Gannow Community Café (3,552 hours), managing Foodshare (612 hours), tending the Community Garden (1,152 hours), and supporting events and premises upkeep, volunteers underpin the organisation’s heartbeat. Collectively, these efforts represent over 7,400 hours of dedicated service each year, equating to nearly £77,400 of added economic value to the local community.

This sustained volunteer input mirrors the enduring ethos of BPRCVS: that community isn’t built by institutions alone, but by individuals who choose to give their time, skills, and care. As one volunteer shared recently, “I started volunteering here because I wanted to help others, but what I gained was a sense of family and belonging.”

Reflecting back over the years from the formation of Burnley Citizens’ Guild, the BPRCVS Volunteer Centre and now the Volunteering for Wellbeing & Community Hub illustrate the power of connection between people, organisations, and purpose. They show how thoughtful, strategic support for volunteering creates ripples far beyond the individual hours given, strengthening the social fabric of East Lancashire and reaffirming the promise at the heart of BPRCVS: that through kindness and commitment, real community can always be built, sustained, and renewed.
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Another vital thread in the BPRCVS tapestry is the long-standing support for unpaid carers adults and children alike whose hidden efforts have kept families afloat in times of illness, disability, and mental distress. From 2010 to 2025, carer support evolved significantly within the organisation, not just in name or structure, but in scope, delivery, and response to local and national pressures.
In the early 2010s, support was delivered through what was then known as Carers Contact, a vibrant and far-reaching programme that offered everything from one-to-one advocacy to wellbeing groups, replacement care, pamper days, peer support, and vital emotional space. Thousands of carers registered with the service across Burnley, Pendle, and Rossendale, with 781 new carers identified in a single year at its height. The initiative helped carers develop Peace of Mind contingency plans, access “Time for Me” grant-funded breaks, and engage in support groups like the Grub Club, Café 23, and Creative Carers, which provided opportunities to reconnect with others and themselves.
The true power of this work lay not in its scale, but in its intimacy. For many, it was the first time their role as carer had been recognised not just as a functional title, but as a source of emotional and physical strain. One carer wrote: “This was the first time for ages that I could get out without my ‘cared for.’ I had no timetable to stick to and only had myself to think about. Very much a break for me.”
Equally transformative was the work undertaken with young carers. These were children, some as young as seven, who were helping to care for family members with chronic illness, mental health issues, or addiction. The support they received creative workshops, time-out sessions, confidence-building courses, buddy-up groups, and residential breaks wasn’t just respite; it was restoration. A young person wrote simply: “I feel less angry.” Another, more poignantly, said: “Young Carers makes me feel like I’m not weird for helping my mum I’m not alone.”
The team behind this work operated with a rare mix of compassion, humour, and professionalism. Across hundreds of group sessions and one-to-one visits, the service not only supported but championed the carers it served ensuring their voices shaped local policy, their needs informed public health strategies, and their day-to-day lives felt less invisible.

Over the years, carers and young carers were featured in national campaigns, created DVDs and newsletters, starred in spoken-word performances, and helped design outcome tools still in use today. Seasonal events, such as the Christmas trips, wellbeing retreats, and summer holiday programmes, became annual lifelines.
But change came, as it always does. By 2014, structural funding changes meant BPRCVS no longer delivered the Carers Contact programme in its original form. Yet the commitment to carers never disappeared it simply adapted. The work with young carers
was integrated into broader wellbeing initiatives, and adult carers increasingly found support through BPRCVS’s other strands of delivery, including Social Prescribing, Volunteering for Wellbeing, and Mental Health & Emotional Wellbeing programmes. What had once been separate strands became part of a unified approach to wraparound care.
This evolution culminated in the development of the Health & Wellbeing for Children & Families programme a modern continuation of that early vision. It brought together years of learning to support children and young people facing a wide spectrum of challenges, including those with caring responsibilities. Activities continued during holidays, offering everything from sports and crafts to confidence-building experiences and family trips.
Yet the pressures of the 2020s rising demand, limited resources, and increasing levels of family distress have brought fresh challenges.

By 2024, referrals had soared, and despite its success and popularity, the programme faced a funding shortfall. BPRCVS Trustees had funded the service from reserves for years. This could not continue. In a difficult but transparent decision, BPRCVS paused referrals from Pendle East, Burnley and Rossendale, with hopes to resume in the near future. All planned summer and October half-term activities continue, though services have been paused until funding can be sourced.
This pause is not an ending it’s a moment of reflection and resilience. The team remains in close contact with families and young people, continuing to offer what they can and advocating for new investment.

They have openly asked for testimonials to strengthen funding bids a reminder that the stories of those helped are the most powerful tools in shaping the future. As one carer once wrote in their feedback: “I have found an organisation that can offer me support.” That sentiment remains the beacon that drives BPRCVS forward.


Over the course of 15 years, the organisation’s carer support has been about far more than trips, grants, or activities. It has been about recognition. It has been about seeing those who are too often overlooked, hearing those who don’t ask for help, and offering dignity, respect, and care in return. Though names may change and contracts come and go, that fundamental purpose endures: to recognise the unrecognised, and to remind every carer, adult, child, or those in between, that their work and their wellbeing matters.

From 2010 through 2025, Communicars has remained one of the most trusted, enduring, and quietly transformative services delivered by BPRCVS. A volunteer-led transport scheme for elderly, disabled, and socially isolated people, it has never just been about getting from A to B it’s been about connection, dignity, and community.

As conventional public transport options declined and isolation grew particularly among older adults Communicars offered a lifeline.

The model was simple: volunteer drivers used their own vehicles to take passengers to medical appointments, social activities, shopping trips, and essential errands.

But the impact was profound. For many passengers, these journeys were their only social interaction of the week. A friendly face, a helping hand, and a consistent presence made all the difference.

By 2011, the scheme was already making thousands of trips a year, with over 12,000 single passenger journeys completed between April 2011 and March 2012.

Even when local policy changes, such as reduced concession rates, created uncertainty, Communicars held firm. Staff attended regional meetings, responded to consultations, and advocated fiercely to protect the service for those who relied on it.

Over the years, the scheme weathered changes in funding and structure, always adapting but never compromising its values.
Between 2010 and 2025, Communicars covered tens of thousands of miles, supported hundreds of passengers, and was powered by dozens of volunteer drivers. In 2018–19 alone, volunteers completed 15,659 single trips. In 2022–23, they made 6,954 journeys across Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale, covering 16,229 miles and contributing 3,487 hours of unpaid time equating to over £36,000 in economic value to the local area.

Yet the real value lies in the people. PB, a long-term passenger, joined the scheme in 2008 when she could no longer access buses. With Communicars, she could attend lunch clubs, keep doctor and dentist appointments, and visit family again. “It helps me to stay active,” she said, “and being able to socialise is a bonus.” Another story comes from MH, whose late wife was a Communicars user.

After she passed, MH became a volunteer driver himself giving back to the scheme that had supported them. “It makes me feel good,” he said, “I’m helping people who wouldn’t be able to get out otherwise.”

The continuity and warmth of the service has always been driven by its staff. Their encyclopaedic knowledge of the service, her compassion for each passenger and driver, and calm, persistent leadership have guided Communicars through both growth and uncertainty.
Volunteer drivers are recruited, trained, supported, acknowledged and thanked throughout the year.
These volunteers become more than transport providers; they become companions, listeners, and trusted faces. Many passengers request specific drivers, having built long-standing friendships over years of rides and conversations.

Even during difficult periods like the COVID-19 pandemic Communicars adapted quickly, ensuring safe protocols and continuing to support those most in need. Thanks to funding from Children in Need the addition of a 15-seater minibus in recent years, has enabled expansion of the offer, enabling group children’s and adults’ trips and community outings that reduce isolation even further.

In 2025, Communicars remains a flagship programme for BPRCVS not because it is the biggest or loudest, but because it is deeply human. It continues to make an enormous difference to people's daily lives, often quietly, always meaningfully.
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The service isn’t just about transport. It’s about restoring freedom, offering companionship, and making sure that no one in our community is left behind. Communicars continues to lift lives one journey at a time, turning miles into smiles by giving the gift of a lift.

The East Lancashire Voluntary Sector Resource Centre, which BPRCVS had fought so hard to bring to life in the late 1990s, became far more than a headquarters. It evolved into a sanctuary of partnership, resilience, and purpose a true physical embodiment of
what the organisation has always stood for: community empowerment through shared infrastructure.

The building’s journey from concept to cornerstone was itself a testament to perseverance.
Amid growing recognition in the 1990s that the voluntary and community sector lacked secure, affordable, and centralised space, BPRCVS championed the creation of a multi-use hub one that would serve not only its own expanding work, but the wider needs of the sector across Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale. Its development marked a turning point in the relationship between the sector and the public realm: no longer would community organisations be relegated to borrowed corners and temporary offices. Here was a home built for them.


By the mid-2010s, the Centre had become a beating heart of community activity.
The building was alive with purpose. On any given day, you might pass a carers’ group meeting in one room, a trustees' board training in another, and a food poverty strategy session down the hall.
BPRCVS had worked intentionally to build not just a tenancy list, but a collaborative system: housing projects, youth charities, carers' services, mental health organisations, refugee support groups, environmental campaigns, and ethnic minority-led initiatives all coexisted under one roof.

The Centre wasn’t simply about occupancy it was about co-location with impact. Groups shared ideas, shared funding applications, shared printers and coffee but more importantly, they shared purpose. The architecture of the building was matched by a shared architecture of trust. Many tenants were supported not just with space, but with access to BPRCVS’s broader services: DBS checks, volunteer management, funding advice, and capacity-building.
Some were new initiatives, given space to grow. Others were longstanding groups who had finally found stability.

Crucially, the Resource Centre modelled how physical space when co-ordinated and resourced properly could become a catalyst for civic strength.
Local authority departments visited regularly. Regional funders held listening events and briefings in its meeting rooms. It became common for statutory and voluntary organisations to meet on neutral ground in the Centre, recognising it as a shared site of knowledge and accountability.

Over the years, the building hosted countless moments that changed lives: the launch of new mental health support programmes; emergency partnership meetings in response to austerity and later the pandemic; welfare hubs during cost-of-living spikes; and the welcoming of new migrants and asylum seekers to East Lancashire. Community groups ran their first AGMs here. Small charities moved in as two-person operations and left as established regional players.
And throughout it all, BPRCVS maintained the vision that space should enable not extract from those working for social good.

During the pandemic years, the Centre became an anchor in the chaos.
Though the building had to adapt to social distancing, hybrid working, and restricted public access, it remained operational and relevant. Staff worked to coordinate volunteer deliveries. Emergency funding briefings were held via Teams from its offices. As restrictions eased, it once again welcomed groups that had lost their venues or had become disconnected from their networks.

In the 2020s, as the demand for locally rooted community support surged again driven by health inequalities, social isolation, digital exclusion, and housing insecurity the importance of the Centre only grew. The building was never flashy, but it was deeply functional, flexible, and welcoming. It offered rooms where relationships could be built, voices could be heard, and strategies could be shaped and still does.

By 2025, the East Lancashire Voluntary Sector Resource Centre stands as more than a physical location it is an institution.

A space that holds the stories, partnerships, and solutions of hundreds of groups and thousands of people over nearly three decades.

It remains the hub from which BPRCVS coordinates its own vital work: from volunteering and group support to social prescribing and community transport. But it is also the platform upon which so many others have built their own paths.
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In an era of rising rents, shrinking office space, and creeping commercialisation of community infrastructure, BPRCVS has never lost sight of the principle that space is a right, not a luxury especially for groups delivering social value and thanks to that vision, the Resource Centre continues to offer not just square footage, but belonging.

Since its acquisition in 2017 by BPRCVS, with the support of Gannow Big Local, Gannow Community Centre has grown into a dynamic hub of activity and support for the Burnley community.

Nestled in the heart of the Gannow ward, the Centre has consistently exemplified the very ethos of BPRCVS: enabling grassroots community action, reducing isolation, and supporting local people to flourish through practical, inclusive initiatives.

Over the last decade and a half, Gannow has become a key delivery site for BPRCVS’s community outreach, providing everything from volunteer opportunities and family-focused services to a thriving food share and community café programme.

Early on, Gannow Community Centre quickly established itself as more than just a building. The number of room bookings and the sheer diversity of services it hosted steadily increased.
The Centre provided space for a growing portfolio of VCFSE-led activities and services. These included mental health support groups, youth programmes, training sessions, fitness classes, and advice surgeries run by Citizens Advice and legal professionals.

The Centre attracted over 12,366 visitors in 2022/23 alone, highlighting its importance as a place for connection and opportunity. With 17 regular volunteers giving over 3,500 hours of their time in just one year, the human effort behind Gannow’s success cannot be overstated. Dedicated volunteers have all helped shape the Centre’s story not only by providing services, but by cultivating a warm, welcoming environment that is truly community-led.

A significant element of Gannow's evolution has been the deep-rooted collaboration with Gannow Big Local, a £1 million community-led initiative that sought to improve the lives of local residents through grassroots action.

Since its formation in 2013, the partnership funded over 71 local projects and invested heavily in young people, infrastructure, and family services. With BPRCVS as the Locally Trusted Organisation, the programme catalysed transformation in the area, even helping to reduce anti-social behaviour to zero within six months at one point. By 2024, the programme had come to an end, with a legacy event held to honour its achievements and acknowledge the volunteers who had strived so hard over the years to offer support, opportunity and activities to the people of Gannow and beyond.

Emerging initially as a small-scale support project, the Gannow Food Share programme has since become one of the Centre’s most vital lifelines. Operating with the help of national and local retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Greggs, and Bookers and fuelled by community generosity, the initiative has directly addressed rising food insecurity in Burnley. Over the years, Food Share grew in scale and scope, helping individuals and families weather the dual storms of the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.


Between 2020 and 2023, the programme consistently delivered thousands of food bags annually. In 2022/23 alone, it provided 2,571 food bags, supporting 1,299 individuals and 527 families.

Volunteers played a central role, not just in logistics but in creating a dignified and human-centred experience for those in need. Donations from local organisations such as the Pendleside Soroptimists added an additional layer of sustainability to the service, offering female hygiene products and other essentials that often go overlooked in mainstream food aid.
One anonymous donor, once helped by the programme, now gives back every Monday; a poignant symbol of the reciprocal spirit at the heart of the Gannow Centre’s operations.
Running every Wednesday and Friday morning, the Gannow Community Café became a beacon of hospitality and warmth. Its appeal went beyond affordable meals which included full English breakfasts, light lunches, and weekly specials for a suggested donation of just £2 and instead resided in its welcoming atmosphere, created by a tight-knit team of volunteer kitchen staff. Whether local residents, workers passing through, or VCFSE staff in the area, diners found more than just food they found community.

From a modest beginning offering soup and sandwiches on Wednesday lunchtimes during the winter of 2016 to serving 411 meals in 2018/19, the café grew rapidly. In 2021/22 it saw a 426% increase, serving 2,165 meals to 2,207 diners. In 2022/23, it surpassed this again with 2,636 meals served, continuing to address not only hunger, but loneliness and social disconnection. It has become a routine part of life for many Gannow residents and a symbol of what can be achieved when local people lead with compassion.

The Centre’s outdoor space also flourished over this period, transformed into a vibrant community garden. Volunteers, Community Payback, the Prince’s Trust, and local children from the Active Gannow project helped create raised beds, plant trees, and
maintain flowerbeds. The garden has been a key site for horticulture training, youth engagement, and mental wellbeing.
Its transformation included a creative touch bird feeders made by a local artist using felled ash trees symbolising renewal and resilience.
It was also chosen as one of Burnley’s memorial sites for lives lost during the Covid-19 pandemic, with a cherry blossom tree planted in the grounds as a lasting tribute.
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From regular Volunteer Thank You Breakfasts to Children In Need fundraisers, Macmillan Coffee Mornings, legal and debt advice drop-ins, and the annual Gannow Christmas Cracker, the Centre became a platform for celebration, remembrance, and practical support. In 2021, it even hosted Deputy Labour Leader Angela Rayner, who praised the Centre’s efforts through the pandemic.

Throughout Gannow Community Centre’s evolution BPRCVS has never lost sight of the vital part the centre plays in the community. A meeting place, a hub for support and for some, a lifeline, the centre continues to evolve and meet the needs of the local community.

The COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022) was a watershed moment not just for public health, but for the very fabric of everyday life. Across Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale as across the UK lockdowns brought daily routines to a halt. Isolation surged. Services disappeared overnight. Fear was palpable. But while national systems faltered under the weight of the crisis, BPRCVS did what it has always done: convene, connect, and care.
When the first lockdown began in March 2020, BPRCVS acted immediately. Within days, the organisation pivoted into a local emergency hub. Traditional roles were suspended, new partnerships were formed, and the building itself became a command centre for emergency community response. Staff were redeployed, not laid off or furloughed.

Volunteers were rapidly mobilised. Every team transport, carers, children and families, mental health, volunteering stepped forward with flexibility and resolve.
Coordinating with local councils, health partners, and dozens of grassroots groups, BPRCVS became a vital link in the borough’s COVID infrastructure. At the height of the crisis, the organisation oversaw:
· Thousands of emergency food parcels delivered to shielding and vulnerable residents;
· Prescription runs and essential shopping deliveries through Communicars and the volunteer transport network;
· Welfare checks by phone and doorstep, reaching elderly and isolated residents who had no digital access;
· Digital support, including device loans and training, to help people access online appointments, benefits, and family contact;
· Rapid volunteer recruitment, vetting and deployment across multiple roles, from drivers and befriending callers to COVID marshals and vaccination stewards.

​Rather than retract in crisis, BPRCVS expanded. Where some services had to close doors, BPRCVS opened new pathways. Social prescribing link workers shifted from face-to-face appointments to telephone triage. Volunteer Centre staff developed virtual induction and safeguarding session
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Zoom support groups were set up for carers, parents, and people living with anxiety helping them stay connected at a time of deep uncertainty.
Behind the scenes, staff were working extraordinary hours, often from home, many while managing their own emotions, health as well as family health and caring responsibilities.

From coordinating crisis funding to setting up emergency DBS checks, the pace was relentless but so was the organisation’s determination to be useful, effective, and compassionate.


Crucially, BPRCVS also became a trusted communicator. With misinformation rife and many people unsure where to turn, the organisation provided clear, trusted, local information on social media, through emails, and via direct calls.


The organisation worked with public health leads to distribute culturally sensitive messaging across ethnic minority communities, ensuring no one was left behind in the scramble for safety and clarity.
Even as lockdowns eased and the vaccine rollout began, BPRCVS maintained momentum.

Staff supported community vaccination efforts, helped vulnerable people register for jabs, and coordinated volunteers at vaccine centres.


They ensured that those left behind by digital registration systems especially older adults and people with language barriers were not excluded.

By the end of 2022, it was clear that the organisation’s pandemic response had not only helped thousands it had strengthened trust, deepened partnerships, and elevated the role of the voluntary sector in emergency planning.

BPRCVS was recognised not just as a delivery partner, but as a strategic one. Its ability to mobilise, adapt, and lead demonstrated the true value of local infrastructure in national emergencies.


Importantly, the pandemic did not interrupt BPRCVS’s core mission. It simply re-routed its energy away from project silos and toward a collective emergency ethos. The crisis tested every system, but it proved something vital: that BPRCVS is not just a provider of services. It is a custodian of community resilience.


Now, in 2025, the memory of that time remains raw for many. But it also remains instructive. The lessons learned about flexibility, local knowledge, and compassion-led delivery continue to shape how the organisation works today. From hybrid service models to greater digital inclusion, BPRCVS has emerged not only intact, but strengthened.


In a time when everything stood still, BPRCVS kept moving and in doing so, it reminded us all what community truly means.

Throughout the 2010s and early 2020s, BPRCVS evolved not just as a delivery organisation but as a strategic player a trusted intermediary and a steady voice in regional policy. This shift didn’t happen overnight.


It was the result of decades of consistent, grounded community engagement, coupled with a willingness to collaborate, innovate, and challenge when necessary.

As statutory systems grew more complex, and the voluntary sector increasingly found itself under pressure, BPRCVS leaned into a more assertive civic role: amplifying unheard voices, shaping local priorities, and securing vital funding for community-led responses.
The organisation’s participation in local governance forums deepened throughout the decade. BPRCVS played an active role in shaping neighbourhood-level consultations, influencing health and wellbeing strategies, and co-producing responses to poverty, housing, and inequality. This influence was not theoretical it was practical, drawn from the lived experience of the Trustees, staff, volunteers and the communities BPRCVS served every day.
Key moments in this strategic evolution included the organisation’s involvement in community asset transfers, where BPRCVS acted as both facilitator and advocate. It worked closely with local authorities and grassroots groups to ensure that community buildings many of which were at risk of closure or commercialisation could be retained, repurposed, and reinvigorated as spaces for social good.

In doing so, BPRCVS helped sustain the physical and symbolic infrastructure of local civic life.
At the same time, BPRCVS became increasingly recognised as a channel for place-based funding. With small organisations often lacking the capacity to apply for and administer complex funding streams, BPRCVS stepped forward as a trusted grant administrator and accountable body. It not only distributed resources it ensured those resources were fair, timely, and targeted to where they could make the most difference.
In doing so, it helped build capacity within smaller groups, allowing them to deliver innovative projects without becoming lost in bureaucracy.
The formation of Burnley Together in 2020 was a defining moment for this role. As part of the multi-agency COVID response and recovery structure, BPRCVS was a founding partner helping shape a coordinated, cross-sector model of support.

Burnley Together brought together local government, health, housing, and voluntary sector partners under a single umbrella. BPRCVS’s involvement ensured that the voice of the sector, and the needs of the community, remained central. It wasn’t just a seat at the table it was an active hand on the steering wheel.
Similarly, the organisation’s ongoing role within Integrated Care Systems (ICS) and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) throughout the 2020s reflects its credibility at the regional level. As the NHS moved toward more place-based planning, BPRCVS ensured that voluntary and community sector insight particularly from marginalised and underserved groups was part of the conversation. Staff contributed to working groups, health equity forums, and collaborative care pathway design.

BPRCVS was consistently described by partners as “measured, inclusive, and solutions-focused” not simply raising problems, but bringing the relationships and insight needed to address them.


This commitment to cross-sector working also extended into policy advocacy. BPRCVS regularly contributed to consultations on welfare reform, volunteering policy, mental health provision, and the future of community infrastructure. It provided real-world case studies, facilitated community voice events, and supported partners in responding collectively to changes in commissioning and public health funding.

Importantly, BPRCVS was often the bridge between communities and councils, between local ideas and national programmes, between small groups and large institutions. This intermediary role was characterised not just by its technical skill, but by a tone of fairness, diplomacy, and quiet strength.

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The organisation never sought attention but it earned respect. By 2025, BPRCVS had become not just a provider of services, but a shaper of systems. It had helped anchor the local sector in turbulent times and continued to speak out for the importance of infrastructure, investment, and inclusion. In a national climate where many voluntary sector organisations felt marginalised or tokenised, BPRCVS’s example stood out: calm, collaborative, and always grounded in its mission.

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Through every strategic shift, one value remained constant: authentic representation. When BPRCVS spoke in policy spaces, it did so from the perspective of communities it knew intimately not as abstract beneficiaries, but as neighbours, volunteers, partners, and peers. This grounded credibility made BPRCVS not only a valued partner but an essential one.

In reaching 2025, we arrive not merely at the end of an article or a timeline, but at a profound juncture in the life of BPRCVS, a point of reflection earned through ninety years of lived service.

It is tempting in such moments to view history as something sealed: a collection of milestones neatly ordered. But BPRCVS has never been a static institution. It is not frozen in time. Its legacy is dynamic, evolving, and above all else, deeply human. What follows is not a conclusion in the final sense, but a deeper understanding of what this organisation has become and why its work remains vital, now more than ever.

From its genesis in 1935 as the Burnley Citizens' Guild, born during the long shadow of the Great Depression and the battle of Battle of the Somme, BPRCVS emerged in response to rising unemployment, hardship, and fractured communities.

Its founders envisioned not just charity, but civic responsibility. They saw a need to organise neighbourly care into lasting systems an effort to empower local people to help one another, regardless of class, faith, or political persuasion. These ideals, radical in their own quiet way, were shaped by the harsh context of the interwar period and the spirit of mutual aid.
During the 1940s, as Britain was thrust into the upheaval of global war, the voluntary impulse did not falter.

In fact, it grew stronger. Wartime welfare committees, Red Cross mobilisation, and ration-book mutualism brought voluntary service into the national conscience. In Burnley and across East Lancashire, civic groups, women's auxiliaries, and informal care networks continued to operate under duress. BPRCVS and its predecessors remained responsive, flexible, and in close contact with community need. It was in these years that the principle of “serving the overlooked and undervalued” became a defining thread of the organisation’s identity.

The 1950s brought a shift from wartime resilience to peacetime rebuilding.
This was the era of the new welfare state, of nationalised health care, education, and housing. Many assumed that voluntary action would wither away under the shadow of state provision. But instead, BPRCVS adapted, offering complementary, holistic support rather than duplication. The newly created Friendly Visiting Scheme and legal aid sessions for those falling through the gaps were early examples of the organisation’s unique role: responding where systems couldn’t reach, and speaking for those who lacked a voice.

As social currents transformed during the 1960s and 70s with deindustrialisation, youth rebellion, second-wave feminism, and growing ethnic diversity BPRCVS again stood ready. It was during this period that the organisation became explicitly multi-agency and multi-issue. Youth unemployment, urban decline, mental health stigma, and racial inequality demanded holistic approaches.

Under the unwavering leadership of Dorothy Lowe (Chief Officer of the 80s and 90s) BPRCVS pioneered community centres, launched volunteer bureaus, and worked in partnership with grassroots groups long before “co-production” became a funding buzzword.


By the 1980s, amid Thatcherism, mass unemployment, and local authority retrenchment, the organisation once again demonstrated its capacity for resilience and innovation.
It secured funding for enterprise support, bolstered legal rights awareness, and formalised its infrastructure services to strengthen the capacity of the entire voluntary sector in Burnle, Pendle and Rossendale. It was during this time that the identity of BPRCVS shifted from simply doing good to enabling others to do good sustainably a critical transition that underpins its present-day brokerage role.


The 1990s and early 2000s, under the guiding hand of Terry Hephrun (Chief Officer of the late 90s and 00s) saw the rise of policy-led collaboration, New Labour investment in social capital, and growing professionalisation of the sector. Here, BPRCVS expanded with purpose: launching the East Lancashire Voluntary Sector Resource Centre, developing back-office support for charities, hosting national pilots for volunteer management, and supporting a wave of self-help and identity-based groups. Crucially, this was the era of space of giving groups not just funding advice, but physical homes, infrastructure, and shared systems. This model of embedded support remains one of the organisation’s most powerful legacies.


The financial crisis of 2008 and the decade of austerity that followed marked yet another period of existential challenge. By the 2010s, libraries, youth centres, and community facilities were closing across East Lancashire. Yet under the steady and confident leadership of Christine Blythe (Chief Executive Officer 2010s to present), BPRCVS stood firm, anchoring services like Communicars, Carers Contact, and the Volunteer Centre even as statutory partners downsized or disappeared. The work became harder, the funding scarcer but the impact deeper. What made BPRCVS different was not scale, but soul: a capacity to listen, adapt, and meet people where they were.

Then came the pandemic.
The COVID-19 years (2020–2022) were a defining crucible. As explored in this part of our series of articles, this was the moment when everything the organisation had built was tested and everything it stood for was proven.

In days, not months, BPRCVS reconfigured itself into a local emergency hub. While others paused, it surged. Volunteer drivers became lifelines. Social prescribing workers shifted to digital triage. Group support officers became crisis navigators. Every role flexed to meet the scale of human need. And when the dust settled, the organisation didn’t retreat it evolved.
Indeed, the 2020s have seen BPRCVS step more confidently into systems leadership. Its work in the Integrated Care System, its role in Burnley Together, and its stewardship of place-based funding show a voluntary sector body that no longer sits on the margins.


BPRCVS has become an intermediary a trusted translator between grassroots experience and policy ambition. It retains its humility, but not its invisibility.


And yet, through all these decades, through world wars, political shifts, economic cycles, and a global pandemic, the fundamentals have never changed.
· Service before recognition
· People before process
· Relationships before results
· Care before contract
This is the BPRCVS model. Not one of bureaucracy, but of belief.

As we look to the future towards digital divides, environmental justice, intergenerational inequality, and an ever-more fragile welfare state, the voluntary sector will once again be called upon to lead with values, not just outcomes. BPRCVS is already showing what that looks like.
So this is not the end. It is a point of continuity through change.

And in this, BPRCVS is not just an organisation. It is a memory held in the community. It is the story of a young carer who felt seen. A retired man who drove neighbours to chemotherapy. A refugee who found English classes and friendship. A local group that survived because someone picked up the phone and said, “Let’s sort this.”

This, then, is the enduring message of 90 years:
That resilience is relational. That community is an action. And that helping people to help others isn’t just a phrase on a logo it is a philosophy with roots, wings, and a future.
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As this chapter closes, let the next begin with the same question that launched it all back in 1935: “How can we help?”

Support Burnley, Pendle & Rossendale Council for Voluntary Service (BPRCVS) without spending an extra penny!
​
When you shop online for groceries, gifts, clothes, or even book a holiday, over 8,000+ retailers – including Tesco, M&S, John Lewis, eBay, Argos, ASOS, Booking.com and more – will donate to BPRCVS for FREE through easyfundraising.

How It Works:

1. Sign up for free on Easyfundraising
2. Shop online as normal at your favourite retailers
3. Retailers donate to BPRCVS automatically – it costs you nothing

Special 2-Week Bonus!

​For a limited 2-week period, if 10 supporters sign up, BPRCVS will receive a £15 bonus. The more people who join, the more bonus funding we unlock!
📌 Sign up now and start raising free donations today:
Join Easyfundraising for BPRCVS
Every click counts! Share with friends and family – the more who sign up, the closer we get to reaching our bonus and supporting our local community projects.

What’s The Purpose Of The Fund?
This year’s funding supports projects that improve health outcomes and tackle key local health priorities. Each district has tailored priorities to reflect local needs:

Burnley Priorities:

• Tackling respiratory disease linked to housing conditions
• Childhood obesity
• Promoting healthy lifestyles and helping people return to or stay in work

Pendle Priorities:

• Encouraging healthy weight and reducing physical inactivity in children
• Improving educational readiness and attainment
• Enhancing health support for children and young people

Rossendale Priorities:

• Community-led mental wellbeing (especially via VCFS organisations)
• Promoting physical activity and healthy weight
• Boosting participation in physical activity, especially in Whitworth

Who Can Apply?
Local grassroots organisations with a genuine community impact  including charities, CICs, and constituted community groups  are encouraged to apply. Your group must be based in or delivering services in Burnley, Pendle, or Rossendale.
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If your project aligns with social prescribing outcomes such as being Creative, Connected, Active or Safe, this fund is especially for you!

How Much Can I Apply For?​
This fund awards grants up to the sum of £5,000.00.

Need Support?​
BPRCVS is here to help! Our team can provide support with completing your application and answering any questions you may have. We’ve also included helpful guidance notes within the application pack.
​
How To Apply📩
Email your completed and signed application – including supporting documents – to:
julie.overson@bprcvs.co.uk
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📮 Or post it to:
BPRCVS 
The CVS Centre
62–64 Yorkshire Street
Burnley
BB11 3BT

📞 For support or questions, call: 01282 433740 (ext 1008 or 1018)
🖊️ Please ensure your application has two authorised signatures – applications without this will not be considered.

​The first-round deadline is 5pm, Friday 15th August 2025. Applications received after this date may not be eligible for consideration in this round.
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Together, let’s support healthier, stronger communities in Burnley, Pendle, and Rossendale.​

Our aim is to create an enabling environment and allow for the portability of volunteers across organisations within the place, with free and accessible training and tool kits developed specifically for Lancashire volunteers and managers. Pull together as a partnership to listen and be heard, develop new relationships and encourage a thriving volunteer sector in Lancashire.


We will also be aiming to test these newly developed models of volunteering within our communities to ensure they work for you. Our monthly forum is for all sizes of VCFSE and infrastructure organisations. 

Our long-term aim is to support what is already flourishing and develop areas where the volunteer agenda needs support.

We do understand how busy you are and if you cannot make our monthly forum but wish to be kept up to date, then please continue to our booking system, fill out your details and click the corresponding field, and we will add you to our mailing list.

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You can book on now at: https://www.trybooking.com/uk/FAUJ or via our QR code

​During August we will be hosting a Free certified course around creating a space for decision making through wellbeing. It starts at 9am on Friday 1st August for 4 weeks at 62-64 Yorkshire St.

​We will be looking to help Burnley residents to feel more confident, creative and understand their potential. Creating a vision for future aspirations through looking at how this process is developed by others. Mapping personal challenges and confidence building to inspire the world our residents live in. 

Sessions are 9am-12 noon for 4 weeks, and you are expected to attend all sessions. 

It is open to Burnley residents age 16+ who are not in employment. Ideal for volunteers, carers, and students who are looking to move on to their next steps.

After the course there is the option of further support around employment, training, social support, volunteering and more.
 
Free refreshments and a certificate of completion. 
Simple sign up with just a name/ email or phone number, and a Burnley postcode.
We need to see a form of ID on the 1st session (birth certificate/ passport/ drivers' licence/ leave to remain). If you don't have Id please talk to us, it doesn't need to be a barrier. 

To book a place contact Lisa Ross, 01282 433740 lisa.ross@bprcvs.co.uk 

The early 21st century posed no shortage of challenges: rising levels of hidden homelessness, overstretched health services, a growing population of unpaid carers, and young people burdened by responsibilities far beyond their years.

But for every challenge, BPRCVS found an answer rooted in collaboration, innovation, and a profound belief in the power of people helping people.

From a new headquarters in the heart of Burnley to the expansion of life changing initiatives like Carers Contact, the Volunteer Centre, and Communicars, the first decade of the 2000s would see BPRCVS evolve into not only a provider of services but a vital strategic player in the fabric of East Lancashire.
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More than just a legacy organisation, it became a hub of hope where ideas were nurtured, grassroots voices were amplified, and real lives were quietly transformed.

The 2000s were a defining decade for Britain’s voluntary and community sector. Across the country, charities were no longer seen merely as compassionate auxiliaries to the state they were increasingly expected to play a central role in shaping and delivering public services.
Under Tony Blair’s New Labour government, the rhetoric of the “third sector” became mainstream, positioning charities as equal partners in tackling social exclusion, improving health outcomes, and regenerating deprived communities. With this new status, however, came intensified scrutiny and new complexities.

The introduction of the Charities Act 2006 marked one of the most significant overhauls in charity law for generations. It modernised the definition of “charitable purposes,” introduced a formal requirement for demonstrating public benefit, and gave the Charity Commission new regulatory teeth.
​

While these reforms aimed to strengthen public confidence and encourage transparency, they also meant that organisations particularly small and medium-sized local groups had to adapt to a more regulated, professionalised environment. Trustees had to be better trained. Impact had to be measurable, and governance had to be more robust than ever before.


At the same time, digital technology was beginning to reshape how charities operated. Email newsletters replaced printed bulletins, online directories emerged, and early forays into social media opened up new frontiers for outreach and engagement. However, these changes brought challenges as well as opportunities. For grassroots organisations without dedicated IT teams or communications budgets, the learning curve was steep.


Perhaps most profound was the shift in how charities were funded.
Grant aid was increasingly replaced with commissioning and contract-based funding, forcing voluntary groups to compete with one another and sometimes with private providers to deliver services once considered core to community welfare. The rise of outcomes based reporting meant that passion alone was no longer enough; charities had to prove their worth through data, evaluation, and formalised impact assessments.


In this rapidly evolving landscape, many voluntary organisations struggled to keep pace. Yet BPRCVS not only adapted it thrived.

With Dorothy’s successor, Terry Hephrun at the helm ably navigating the choppy waters of the voluntary community and faith sector, BPRCVS managed to navigate the shifting sands by anchoring itself firmly in its founding ethos: to serve the real,
living needs of the people of Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale whilst others faced mission drift or collapse, By combining traditional values of care and civic duty with modern practices of accountability and partnership, BPRCVS proved that local, place-based support could still flourish amid national change.

This ability to remain rooted while responding to reform would become a hallmark of BPRCVS’s work throughout the decade a testament to its agility, vision, and unshakeable commitment to community.

In 2001, BPRCVS demonstrated its ambition to be both locally rooted and globally connected. That year, the organisation became part of an international volunteering exchange supported by Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) and The Prince’s Trust, welcoming 18 young people nine from India and nine from the UK for three-month placements in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale.


The exchange, groundbreaking for the borough, was more than a cultural visit it was a living demonstration of shared learning and mutual service.


The young volunteers were placed with local community groups, youth organisations, and environmental initiatives, offering hands-on support and fresh perspectives. Whether helping deliver youth activities, supporting neighbourhood clean-ups, or joining social projects that tackled health inequalities, these volunteers brought global insight to local issues and in turn, they learned from the resilience and resourcefulness of the East Lancashire community sector.
The programme left a lasting impression on both the participants and their host communities, showing that solidarity and service could cross borders and barriers.


That same year, 2001 was declared the United Nations International Year of the Volunteer and BPRCVS rose to the occasion.
Orange and blue awareness ribbons were distributed across the region as symbols of civic pride, and events were held to promote the importance of volunteerism. These activities not only celebrated the tireless work of existing volunteers but also encouraged new people young and not-so-young to get involved in shaping their communities.


Meanwhile, organisational development was advancing behind the scenes.

The Carers Helpline, which had grown steadily through the 1990s, was relaunched in 2001 with a full team of five staff enhancing BPRCVS’s ability to support carers in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale.
That same year also saw the creation of the Burnley Community Network, with BPRCVS serving as the accountable body. This move represented a major shift in community governance, enabling local groups to speak with one voice and access funding, training, and representation through a coordinated platform. It was an essential step in giving grassroots voices greater influence in local decision-making.

At the dawn of the 21st century, BPRCVS’s Carers Contact programme stood as a vital support system for the often overlooked and undervalued cohort of unpaid carers within Burnley, Pendle, and Rossendale.


Starting the decade with 342 carers registered, the service witnessed remarkable growth over the following years by 2010, over 4,300 carers had signed up to the programme, with around 2,700 actively engaged in receiving ongoing support. This substantial increase reflected both the rising recognition of carers’ needs and the programme’s expanding reach and reputation.


Initially based in the heart of Burnley on Hammerton Street, Carers Contact served as more than just an information point; it was a lifeline and community anchor.


As the demand for services grew, the programme broadened its physical presence, moving into the East Lancashire Voluntary Sector Resource Centre, where it developed into a dynamic hub for carer advocacy, emotional support, and practical assistance.

Here, carers found a welcoming environment in which to share their experiences, voice their concerns, and access vital resources tailored to their unique challenges.


Recognising the diversity within the carer population, BPRCVS invested in specialist roles designed to meet specific needs. Dedicated workers supported young carers juggling education and family responsibilities, while others focused on carers from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities, ensuring culturally sensitive support that acknowledged different traditions and barriers.

Additional roles targeted carers supporting individuals with learning disabilities or mental health conditions, groups often facing complex and demanding care situations.
Information and empowerment were central pillars of Carers Contact as befits BPRCVS as an
infrastructure organisation.

The creation of practical tools such as the A-Z Guide for Carers offered a comprehensive directory of services, advice, and rights, helping carers navigate the often fragmented care system with greater confidence. Collaborative work with local healthcare providers introduced the GP Carers’ role, a key initiative that strengthened links between carers and primary care services, ensuring carers’ needs were acknowledged in medical consultations and care planning.

Beyond practical support, Carers Contact was committed to improving carers’ wellbeing and quality of life. Pamper days provided opportunities for relaxation and self-care, while respite trips offered a temporary but invaluable break from caregiving duties.

Innovative projects like Carefree Days, run in partnership with Lancashire Adult Learning, combined respite with learning and social activities, helping carers to reconnect with their own interests and regain a sense of balance.

These activities were not only restorative but also affirming, helping to restore dignity and foster a supportive community where carers felt valued rather than invisible.

The programme’s success highlighted the importance of recognising carers as a hidden workforce individuals whose dedication underpins the health and wellbeing of many but whose own needs are often overlooked.
​

Launched in 2000, the Young Carers Project rapidly became one of the most vital initiatives of the decade. These were children and young people, some as young as five, caring for family members with chronic illnesses, disabilities, or substance dependencies.

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From one worker in 2000 to a growing team by 2010, including specialist staff for mental health and substance misuse, the project supported over 400 young carers in its first decade. Its offerings one-to-ones, group sessions, family advocacy, and residential trips allowed young people to step out of the shadows and into supportive peer networks. They even produced their own newspaper for the project’s tenth anniversary, a powerful expression of their voices and experiences.

It started with just one dedicated worker, a passionate individual tasked with identifying young carers and reaching out into schools, social services, and community groups to find those hidden behind the scenes. Many young carers had long suffered in silence, their experiences invisible even to those closest to them. Some missed school, some struggled to make friends, and all carried a weight of responsibility far beyond their years.

From that single post in 2000, the Young Carers Project grew steadily. Over ten years, more than 400 young carers engaged with the programme.
But these numbers only tell part of the story.

​Behind each figure was a young person discovering a lifeline, a safe space, and most importantly, a sense that they were not alone.
The Young Carers Project was founded on the principle that these children deserved recognition, support, and a chance to reclaim some normality in their lives.

Volunteer Centre: Expanding the Spirit of Service

By the end of the 2000s, volunteering was no longer seen as a peripheral activity it had become an integral and valued part of life across Burnley, Pendle, and Rossendale. At the heart of this transformation was the BPRCVS Volunteer Centre, which evolved during the decade into a dynamic hub of community engagement, opportunity, and innovation.

The statistics alone speak volumes. In 2007/08, the Volunteer Centre processed 642 volunteer referrals. By 2009/10, that number had risen dramatically to 2,254 an increase of more than 250% in just two years.

This surge was not merely a reflection of growing interest, but of a deeper cultural shift. Volunteering was no longer viewed as something for the few with spare time, but as a vital means of personal and professional development, a pathway into employment, a way to maintain social connections in later life, and a means of contributing meaningfully to the wider community.

One of its most important missions during this period was to challenge outdated perceptions of volunteering as low-skilled, low-impact work often associated exclusively with charity shops or manual labour. Through carefully crafted placement pathways and partnerships with a wide range of organisations, the centre opened up new and varied roles that better reflected the skills, aspirations, and lived experiences of volunteers.


Volunteers were now finding placements not just in traditional charity settings, but across a wide spectrum of roles: in hospitals as peer mentors supporting patients through recovery; in schools and youth services offering guidance and mentorship to at-risk young people; in administrative and customer service roles that helped build office and digital skills; and in community projects that required strategic thinking and leadership.


This diversification of roles broadened the appeal of volunteering, attracting a more diverse pool of individuals from university students seeking experience and CV development, to mid-life career changers, to retired professionals eager to stay active and connected.


A significant driver of this evolution was the centre’s emphasis on volunteer development. Volunteers were not simply placed and forgotten; they were nurtured, trained, and empowered.



The Volunteer Centre also became a key advocate on the national stage. Through active involvement in policy discussions and regional networks, BPRCVS helped shape broader conversations about the role of volunteering in the 21st century.
It championed the importance of robust volunteer management, fair recruitment practices, and inclusive access for underrepresented groups including people with disabilities, carers, and those from Black and Minority Ethnic communities.
The centre promoted volunteering not only as an act of kindness or charity, but as a social contract: a mutual exchange that benefited both the individual and society as a whole.
As the decade progressed, volunteering also became a strategic response to the social and economic challenges of the time.

The late 2000s saw the global financial crisis and rising unemployment, particularly in areas like East Lancashire. In this context, volunteering offered a vital route to regain confidence, build employable skills, and maintain a sense of purpose.

For many who had lost work or faced redundancy, volunteering became the first step back into the labour market a chance to rebuild not only their CVs, but their identities.
One of the most powerful aspects of the Volunteer Centre’s work during this period was its ability to humanise statistics through real stories. Each number in the referral records represented a person a teenager learning leadership by coaching youth football, a recent migrant building English language skills through a reception desk role, an older adult combating loneliness by helping run a lunch club.
BPRCVS recognised the role of volunteering in community resilience.

In times of need whether responding to cuts in public services, emergencies, or growing demand for support the voluntary sector often stepped in to fill the gaps.
Volunteers were not a supplement to services; increasingly, they were the glue holding the social fabric together. The Volunteer Centre ensured that these contributions were coordinated, recognised, and sustained.
The late 2000s also saw growing interest in corporate social responsibility, and the Volunteer Centre capitalised on this trend by encouraging partnerships with local businesses. Employer-supported volunteering schemes began to emerge, enabling staff to give time to community projects during working hours.
This not only benefited the voluntary sector, but also strengthened ties between businesses and the communities they served.
Another key development was the centre’s role in volunteer brokerage.
Acting as a bridge between individuals and opportunities, BPRCVS maintained strong relationships with hundreds of local organisations, constantly identifying new placements and matching volunteers based on their interests, skills, and availability.
This proactive and person-centred approach helped ensure that volunteering was not only accessible, but meaningful.
By 2010, the Volunteer Centre had become far more than an administrative service it was a community engine, powering inclusion, regeneration, and transformation. Its work was underpinned by a belief that everyone, regardless of age, background, or circumstance, had something valuable to offer and that communities flourish when people are empowered to give their time, talents, and care.

Throughout the 2000s, Communicars emerged as one of BPRCVS’s most quietly transformative services a volunteer-led driving scheme that brought connection, and independence to some of the most isolated members of the community.

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Rooted in the founding ideals of the Burnley Citizens’ Guild where neighbourliness, mutual aid, and civic duty were cornerstones of action.
Communicars served as a living embodiment of those early values, reimagined for a modern world.


At first glance, Communicars may have seemed simple: a team of volunteer drivers using their own cars to transport people to medical appointments, shopping trips, or social activities. But behind this straightforward service lay a much deeper social impact. For many elderly, disabled, or otherwise mobility-restricted individuals across Burnley, Pendle, and Rossendale, these journeys represented far more than miles covered they were lifelines to the outside world.


The scale of the scheme’s reach expanded significantly throughout the decade. In 2009/10 alone, volunteer drivers completed approximately 10,400 trips. By the following year, that number had grown to 11,700 an increase that reflected both the rising demand for accessible transport and the growing recognition of Communicars’ value in promoting inclusion and wellbeing.


The people using the service were often those who had few, if any, alternatives. Public transport might have been inaccessible, unreliable, or intimidating particularly for those with complex health needs, limited mobility, or anxiety around travel.
Taxis, while more flexible, were often prohibitively expensive for individuals on fixed incomes. Communicars filled this crucial gap, offering a cost-effective, friendly, and human-scale alternative that restored a sense of autonomy to people’s lives.
For many service users, Communicars drivers were not just transport providers they were familiar faces, friendly listeners, and trusted supporters.


The relationships built during these journeys often extended beyond the car door. Volunteers came to know their passengers’ routines, challenges, and stories.


Conversations ranged from the weather and grandchildren to fears about a medical diagnosis or memories of their town during better times. In an era marked by growing social isolation particularly among older adults these brief but meaningful connections were immensely valuable. The volunteers who made this possible came from all walks of life retired teachers, former tradesmen, carers, office workers united by a desire to give back to their community in a tangible, personal way.


They donated not only their time, but the use of their own vehicles, often going above and beyond the call of duty. Many were motivated by experiences in their own families or communities an elderly neighbour who could no longer drive, a friend who had become housebound, or a parent who had once relied on similar support. The organisation understood that sustaining the commitment of volunteers required both practical support and recognition of their immense value. Regular check-ins and gatherings helped foster a sense of belonging among the drivers themselves a community within a community.


The ripple effects of Communicars extended far beyond the individuals directly served. Families, especially those living far from ageing or vulnerable relatives, expressed deep gratitude for the reassurance the service provided.

Health professionals noted the improved appointment attendance rates and reduced emergency call-outs.

Local community groups saw increased engagement from people who otherwise would have remained at home. In many ways, Communicars acted as a preventative service, mitigating isolation and its associated health risks before more costly interventions were required. Throughout the decade, Communicars also adapted to changing circumstances. As demand grew and demographics shifted, BPRCVS worked to diversify the volunteer base and increase awareness of the scheme.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Communicars was its modesty.
It did not seek the spotlight, nor was it always headline-grabbing. Yet its impact was quietly profound. It provided a sense of agency to those who might otherwise have felt forgotten. It brought warmth and humanity to what could have been a purely transactional service. It turned everyday journeys into acts of care.

By 2010, Communicars was firmly established as one of BPRCVS’s most cherished services a shining example of how local volunteers, coordinated with care and compassion, could solve deeply human problems in practical and sustainable ways.

It was a wheel of independence, not only in the literal sense of mobility, but in restoring individuals’ sense of control, connection, and dignity.

In a time when statutory services were stretched thin and communities often felt fragmented, Communicars reminded everyone of what could still be achieved through the simple power of neighbourly kindness one ride at a time.

As the voluntary and community sector grew in scope and complexity during the 2000s, so too did the demand for skills, knowledge, and governance structures to match. Small grassroots groups, newly formed charities, and long-standing volunteer-led organisations were increasingly expected to operate with the rigour and professionalism once reserved for public and private sector institutions.

​

In this shifting landscape, BPRCVS recognised a pressing need: to support the sector not just with advice or funding, but with the tools, training, and confidence to thrive.
The result was the formal launch of a structured training programme in 2007, developed under the BASIS Project (Building and Sustaining an Infrastructure of Support).
What began as a pragmatic response to a growing skills gap quickly became one of the organisation’s most enduring legacies of the decade. The training programme did more than deliver information; it helped to professionalise the voluntary sector while preserving its grassroots heart.
Between 2007 and 2011, the scale of the programme’s impact was remarkable.
Over 1,300 delegates from more than 650 organisations took part in 145 training sessions across Burnley, Pendle, and Rossendale. These figures not only highlight the appetite for learning among local groups but also demonstrate the central role BPRCVS played in strengthening the region’s voluntary infrastructure.
Courses were intentionally accessible low-cost or free, delivered locally, and focused on practical skills. The sessions were designed to be the very first steps and they helped build foundations that lasted.
Indeed, the foundations were wide-ranging. The core training menu included health and safety, food hygiene, risk assessments, and emergency first aid essential topics for any group organising public activities, community meals, or events.
These courses ensured that small organisations could meet legal and safety standards with confidence, often making the difference between a promising idea and a successful, deliverable project.
Other sessions focused on volunteer management an increasingly critical issue as more organisations sought to grow their impact through unpaid staff. Participants learned how to recruit, retain, and support volunteers ethically and effectively, embedding good practice around safeguarding, supervision, and recognition.


Equally important were courses on self-care, stress management, and preventing burnout particularly valuable for volunteers and staff working in emotionally demanding roles such as carers’ support, mental health, or crisis response.


These sessions served as a reminder that caring for others must begin with caring for oneself, and they became a hallmark of the programme’s holistic approach.


Another significant development during this period was the inclusion of digital skills and IT training.


As more funders, regulators, and networks moved processes online, digital literacy became essential not only for day-to-day administration but for grant applications, monitoring outcomes, social media engagement, and online safety.


Recognising this, BPRCVS introduced beginner-friendly courses in email use, Microsoft Office, online safeguarding, and basic website building empowering even the smallest community group to navigate an increasingly digital world.



In addition to set courses, BPRCVS offered bespoke training for specific groups or emerging needs. For example, when new funding streams emerged with particular reporting requirements, tailored workshops were designed to guide groups through the paperwork.


When community cafés and foodbanks began to multiply in response to rising hardship, targeted training in food handling regulations helped ensure these services could operate safely and confidently.
But beyond the content, what truly set the BPRCVS training programme apart was its atmosphere of encouragement and peer support.


Sessions were rarely lectures instead, they became lively spaces for community leaders, volunteers, and project workers to meet, exchange ideas, and share challenges. In this way, each course doubled as a networking opportunity, strengthening the social ties that underpinned the sector’s resilience.


Feedback from attendees reflected both the value and the accessibility of the sessions. One delegate described the programme as “the bridge between wanting to do something good and knowing how to do it well.” Another commented, “I walked in thinking I’d feel out of place but I walked out knowing I had a place in the sector.”


These testimonials underscored the power of training not just to impart knowledge, but to build confidence and belonging.


As the economic downturn of the late 2000s began to bite, demand for training increased. Groups under financial pressure sought to make every pound count, and that meant improving everything from governance and volunteer coordination to financial management. BPRCVS responded by developing new sessions on writing successful funding bids, financial accountability, and trustee responsibilities helping groups adapt, survive, and often even thrive under tough conditions.



Adaptability is key in the sector and courses were regularly reviewed, and new topics added in response to emerging trends.


When safeguarding legislation changed, BPRCVS was quick to update its offer. When social media began to shape community engagement, BPRCVS introduced digital marketing sessions to ensure groups could amplify their work online. The training programme never stood still it evolved in pace with the sector and the socio-economic landscape.

By 2011, the training programme had established itself not only as a trusted provider of capacity-building but as a quiet force behind the scenes one that enabled hundreds of groups to deliver their missions more safely, confidently, and effectively.

It empowered ordinary people to step into leadership roles within their communities, giving them the knowledge to run meetings, recruit volunteers, balance budgets, and measure impact.

Its legacy was visible in the growing number of organisations that began to operate with professionalism, apply for larger grants, take on premises, or deliver commissioned services. These were not just better trained they were better prepared for the challenges of a changing sector.

In many ways, the BPRCVS training programme encapsulated the organisation’s wider ethos: to meet people where they are, help them build, and walk alongside them as they grow.

East Lancashire Voluntary Sector Resource Centre: A New Home, A New Era

Fulfilling a long-standing dream of Chief Officer Dorothy Lowe, the new headquarters on Yorkshire Street opened in 1999 and came into full use in the early 2000s. The East Lancashire Voluntary Sector Resource Centre was more than a building it was a symbol of permanence, collaboration, and visibility for the entire voluntary sector in the region.
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Hosting tenants like the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers and the East Lancashire Deaf Society, it also provided modern facilities for meetings, training, and drop-in advice. Shared corridors led to shared conversations and cross-organisational partnerships, enriching the civic landscape of East Lancashire.



Beyond Projects: A Philosophy of Support


Amid the wide range of services, training programmes, and volunteer initiatives that defined BPRCVS during the 2000s, there existed a deeper thread one not always listed in project evaluations or funding reports, but no less important: a consistent and enduring philosophy of community-based support.

It was this underlying ethos, rooted in solidarity, compassion, and empowerment, which tied together the organisation’s many strands of activity and gave its work lasting impact.
This philosophy was not bound to any single programme or time-limited initiative. It was embedded in the way BPRCVS approached its role not just as a service provider, but as a steward of community wellbeing. Whether addressing poverty, isolation, ill-health, or unemployment, the organisation worked from the ground up, listening to those it served and responding with humanity, flexibility, and purpose.
One of the most enduring and quietly impactful examples of this ethos was the Distress Fund, a form of emergency financial support offered to families with dependent children facing acute hardship.
Though capped at £400 per family per year, and operating largely behind the scenes, the fund remained a critical safety net for those falling through the cracks.
Its value lay not only in what it provided essentials such as heating, school uniforms, or food but in the dignity and discretion with which it was offered.


Unlike many formal support systems that required invasive assessments or long waits, the Distress Fund could respond quickly, often through referrals by trusted professionals or community workers.


This immediacy allowed families in crisis to receive support when they needed it most before problems spiralled into deeper debt, homelessness, or social services involvement.


In a decade marked by economic downturns, welfare reform, and growing financial precarity, this kind of quiet intervention often made the difference between stability and collapse.
The fund reflected a broader belief that no one should be left to struggle alone, especially families with children. It recognised that temporary hardship did not equate to failure or unworthiness, and that sometimes, what people need most is simply a bit of help at the right moment.


It also demonstrated the power of community-funded compassion drawing on donations, local partnerships, and volunteer support to sustain a flexible resource outside the limitations of state provision.


Just as the Distress Fund continued to serve families in need, earlier legacy projects such as the Friendly Visiting Scheme and hostel support work cornerstones of BPRCVS’s mid-20th-century service delivery either evolved or gave way to more contemporary expressions of the same principles.


Where once volunteers visited isolated older people in their homes for tea and conversation, new services like Carers Contact and Communicars carried this torch forward, responding to modern needs with the same emphasis on personal connection, trust, and presence.
The Friendly Visiting Scheme, for instance, may have ended in its original form, but its ethos of reducing loneliness, affirming dignity, and offering companionship remained very much alive in the everyday work of Communicars drivers or Carers Contact support staff. These weren’t just services;
they were relationships, built on empathy and a shared belief in the value of every individual. In this sense, BPRCVS didn’t just adapt to changing times it preserved the heart of its original mission through new structures and settings.



Similarly, the rise of the Volunteer Centre and the Training Programme during the 2000s reflected an expansion of this philosophy. Both initiatives were born not only out of practical need, but from a deep-rooted belief that people themselves are the greatest resource in any community. Rather than positioning service users as passive recipients of help, BPRCVS empowered them to be part of the solution to gain skills, give time, and build the capacity of others. Volunteering was not promoted merely as something altruistic, but as a reciprocal exchange: volunteers gained experience, confidence, and connection, while the organisations and individuals they supported received much-needed help.


Likewise, training wasn’t just about compliance or box-ticking it was about unlocking potential, giving people the tools to lead, manage, and sustain their own community initiatives. This reflected a broader shift in BPRCVS’s identity during the 2000s from provider to enabler; from helper to partner.


What tied all of these activities together whether a single distress grant, a peer mentor placement, or a safeguarding course was the relational approach BPRCVS embedded in its daily practice. The organisation knew that strong communities are not built by services alone, but by people who are connected, supported, and empowered. That meant recognising the humanity in every interaction, responding with flexibility, and working with not just for those in need.
This philosophy also guided BPRCVS’s wider role as a connector and convener.


Through forums, networks, and collaborative partnerships, the organisation brought together community leaders, public agencies, faith groups, and residents around shared challenges and common goals. It saw its role not as central authority, but as facilitator of local strength helping others to grow, organise, and take action.
In the 2000s, as social needs diversified and funding landscapes became more competitive, this underlying philosophy became more important than ever.
It helped BPRCVS navigate the tension between professionalisation and grassroots authenticity, ensuring that as the sector modernised, it did not lose sight of its foundational values: trust, compassion, inclusion, and mutual respect.

Ultimately, while projects came and went some completing their funding cycles, others evolving into new forms this deeper ethos remained.


It was visible in the reassurance offered to a single mother helped by the Distress Fund, the confidence built in a volunteer through training, the independence restored by a Communicars ride, or the emotional relief brought to a young carer through advocacy and respite.
By 2010, BPRCVS had built not only an impressive array of services, but a culture a way of working that prioritised people, relationships, and community resilience above all else. This was the thread running through its entire history, from its origins in the Burnley Citizens’ Guild to its modern identity as a trusted anchor organisation in East Lancashire.

More than just a provider of support, BPRCVS had become a philosophical home for community action: a place where compassion was organised, solidarity was practical, and everyday people were given the tools and the belief to make a difference in each other’s lives.


Conclusion: Standing Firm in Changing Times


What made BPRCVS exceptional in this period was not simply the range of its services, but the way it conducted itself as a civic institution resilient in the face of challenge, inclusive in its partnerships, and profoundly committed to social justice. In an era marked by austerity measures, increased scrutiny, and competition for shrinking resources, BPRCVS did not retreat. Instead, it advanced with humility and intelligence, building capacity across the sector and investing in others so that communities could speak for themselves, support themselves, and sustain themselves. It did this not by imposing top-down solutions, but by listening closely, constantly to the voices of carers, volunteers, trustees, youth workers, parents, and neighbours.


It recognised that expertise does not always come with titles, and that lived experience is as valuable as formal education when it comes to shaping effective, dignified support. This bottom-up ethic so closely aligned with the organisation’s 1935 founding principles continued to guide every new initiative. Throughout the 2000s, BPRCVS proved itself agile in a changing policy landscape. It adapted to new funding mechanisms and expectations around impact measurement and accountability without losing sight of the people behind the numbers. It embraced professionalisation while holding fast to its grassroots identity.


It operated with increasing sophistication though never became remote or bureaucratic. In doing so, it served as a bridge between formal systems and informal networks, between local residents and regional decision-makers, and between tradition and innovation.
In each story lies a reflection of BPRCVS’s wider purpose: not to act for communities, but to act with them to help shape a society in which every person, regardless of background or circumstance, has the opportunity to connect, contribute, and thrive.

By the close of the decade, BPRCVS stood not only as a provider of services, but as a custodian of community values, and as a platform for collective progress. The organisation had successfully navigated a time of enormous change while holding fast to its founding mission: to promote self-help, deepen civic responsibility, and work towards the elimination of poverty through voluntary action and mutual aid.

As the next decade approached, BPRCVS carried with it a renewed sense of purpose and a legacy of community support that marched on: steadily, quietly, and with ever-widening arms.

This was a decade in which the very definition of "community support" was reimagined. From crisis food parcels to long-term accommodation projects, from carer advocacy to regional volunteer infrastructure, BPRCVS embedded itself into the daily lives of thousands. It operated at both a grassroots and strategic level offering practical aid to those in immediate distress whilst also advising local authorities on community care plans, funding models, and inclusive service delivery.

It developed partnerships with everyone from housing associations and GPs to schools and churches. Through this web of collaboration, BPRCVS extended a safety net beneath the region’s most vulnerable—without judgment and without bureaucracy.  

At the heart of this work was a deep respect for the power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Whether through volunteer drivers ferrying elderly residents to the shops, or youth-led environmental projects rescuing frogspawn from drying ponds, BPRCVS never lost sight of the value of personal agency. It treated volunteering not simply as a civic duty, but as a form of empowerment—a way to rebuild confidence, develop skills, and reclaim a sense of belonging.  

This decade also saw BPRCVS invest in its own future. Under the leadership of figures like Dorothy Lowe and Terry Hephrun, the organisation pursued a long-standing vision to create a central hub for the voluntary sector. It was a physical embodiment of BPRCVS’s philosophy: that social change happens best when people work together.  

Through innovation, tenacity, and compassion, BPRCVS helped steer Burnley, Pendle, and Rossendale through one of the most challenging periods in modern history. It did not wait for solutions to come from above—it built them from the ground up. And in doing so, it not only sustained lives, but helped to reweave the torn fabric of community itself.  ​

In early 1991, as the First Gulf War dominated headlines and British troops were deployed to the Middle East, BPRCVS once again proved that its reach extended far beyond domestic hardship. In a powerful show of solidarity, the organisation launched the Gulf War Appeal in partnership with the Burnley Express, offering local people a direct way to show support for service men and women stationed on the front lines.  

This appeal was more than a fundraising initiative it was a rallying call. In just a matter of weeks, it mobilised schools, businesses, community groups, and families across Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale. At its heart was a simple but deeply human idea: to send a piece of home to those far from it. 
​​

Local shoe manufacturer Lambert Howarth donated hundreds of empty shoeboxes. United Carriers stepped in to offer affordable transport, helping the parcels reach troops stationed in the Gulf just two weeks after the appeal was launched.  
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Charity events were held in churches and community halls, schools collected toiletries and stationery, and donations poured in. People gave books, writing sets, sweets, disposable razors, phone cards, and personal messages small comforts that carried enormous emotional weight.  
​
By the time the hostilities ended, the appeal had sent around 900 parcels, with an estimated value of £5,500 in donated goods. The feedback from troops was overwhelmingly heartfelt. One letter, received by BPRCVS from Sergeant Dave Leyland of Earby, captured the gratitude felt by so many on the front lines. He wrote to thank “everyone back home,” saying that the letters and parcels “were the biggest single factor in the Allies winning the war so quickly.”  
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It also served as a reminder that BPRCVS’s mission went far beyond its borough boundaries. Whether responding to crisis at home or showing solidarity abroad, the organisation remained steadfast in its belief that when people come together, powerful things happen.  ​

It was a bold vision, and one that required significant investment. But as was often the case with BPRCVS, where there was passion, determination, and community need, solutions soon followed. ​

From the front reception to the communal kitchen, it was a place where residents, staff, and service users felt welcome.  A centre rooted in community ownership, not just organisational identity.  
For BPRCVS, the centre also represented an essential shift in infrastructure.  
No longer confined to a corner of town, the organisation now had the space, visibility, and facilities to match its expanding role across Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale. It became the beating heart of local civil society the place where a campaign might be born over coffee, a housing crisis resolved in a private room, or a young volunteer find their first placement and sense of purpose.  
The East Lancashire Voluntary Sector Resource Centre future-proofed the voluntary sector for the 21st century. It created a legacy that continues to serve the people of East Lancashire to this day.  
Dorothy Lowe did eventually retire handing the helm over to Terry Hephrun. Dorothy’s ambition for BPRCVS had once again proved that community is strongest when it has both a place to gather and a shared dream to pursue.  
Carers Contact: Answering a Silent Need  
In 1995, a quiet but significant shift occurred in social policy.  
For the first time, national legislation began to formally acknowledge what millions of families had long known that unpaid carers were the backbone of community care in Britain. The introduction of the Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995 was a watershed moment.  
It recognised the unique challenges faced by those providing ongoing care for loved ones with long-term illnesses, disabilities, or age-related needs. Across East Lancashire, this legislative change echoed loudly, particularly in communities already strained by poverty, poor health outcomes, and under-resourced statutory services.  
The Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Council for Voluntary Service (BPRCVS), with its ear to the ground and a history of responding to evolving social needs, quickly realised that this change in policy had uncovered a vast but largely invisible population. Carers, many of them women, many elderly, and many juggling multiple roles, had been struggling in silence, often unaware they had rights, or even that they could ask for help.  
BPRCVS launched a Carers Helpline, initially staffed by volunteers and supported by a small project team. The phone line quickly proved indispensable.  
Within months, the volume of calls grew as word spread among GP surgeries, community groups, and social workers. Many carers phoned, not to ask for services, but simply to talk, to share their burdens, to ask questions about benefits, or to find out if what they were doing even counted as caring.  
The project was soon expanded into a dedicated service: Carers Contact. By the turn of the millennium, it was supporting over 340 carers across Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale and that number was rising every month.  
BPRCVS understood that isolation was one of the deepest wounds a carer could suffer and so the project set out to rebuild social connection and personal wellbeing through a packed programme of events and opportunities.  
The now-famous "Carefree Days" became a highlight of the calendar. These included day trips to York, Blackpool, Southport, and local beauty spots brief but cherished escapes from the 24/7 responsibilities that many carers faced.  
For many attendees, these were the only breaks they’d had in years. Other initiatives included pamper sessions, gentle exercise and yoga classes, and basic computer training, which helped carers stay connected in an increasingly digital world.  
Young carers, often overlooked and under-supported, were given space to connect with peers, attend activity days, and build skills that would help them cope with their unique challenges. BME carers, particularly in Asian and Eastern European communities, were reached through translated materials, community liaison workers, and culturally sensitive events. The project became a model of inclusive practice, long before such language became widespread in the voluntary, community and faith sector.  
One of the project’s crowning achievements and still one of its most referenced legacies—was the development of the A–Z Guide for Carers.  
This comprehensive, user-friendly directory brought together every known support service a carer might need: from transport and home adaptations, to respite care, support groups, disability benefits, and disease specific organisations like the Alzheimer’s Society or Parkinson’s UK. Tangible proof of BPRCVS’s commitment to not just listening, but equipping and empowering.  
As the decade closed, BPRCVS’s model of carer support began influencing wider discussions in East Lancashire about the role of unpaid care in the NHS and social care ecosystems. Carers Contact had not only improved lives it had helped change the conversation.  


Driving Change: Communicars and the Spirit of Volunteering  
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The seeds of the idea for a volunteer-led transport scheme were planted in 1936, when the Burnley Citizens’ Guild first proposed community-based transport for the elderly and housebound. It would take decades of social change, rising awareness of isolation, and the quiet persistence of the voluntary sector for the vision to become reality.  

By the early 1990s, the need was urgent and undeniable. Public transport services across Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale were becoming increasingly limited particularly in the rural villages and outlying areas that many elderly or disabled people called home. Cuts to bus routes, mobility difficulties, and the rising costs of taxis left countless individuals effectively stranded.  

People missed hospital appointments, gave up on social activities, or simply stopped going out altogether. Isolation wasn’t just a risk it was becoming a way of life.  

In 1993, drawing on its long tradition of grassroots coordination, BPRCVS united several small, informal driving schemes that had popped up in Rawtenstall, Haslingden, Pendle and Burnley.  
These had been run by dedicated local volunteers, but lacked the structure and sustainability needed to keep going in the long term.  

Under BPRCVS’s leadership, these fragmented efforts were brought together into a single, cohesive service: Communicars.  

Communicars was simple but transformative. A team of trained and vetted volunteer drivers used their own cars to transport people to essential appointments, shops, hairdressers, lunch clubs, day centres, and social events.  

Clients paid a small mileage-based fee to cover expenses, but the service was run with empathy, not profit in mind. For many users, it wasn’t just about getting from A to B it was about being seen, supported, and part of the world again.  

Drivers often stopped to help people to their door, waited during appointments, and chatted along the way turning what could have been a transactional service into something altogether warmer and more dignified.  

In an era when statutory services were stretched thin and transport barriers often undermined care, BPRCVS filled a critical gap.  

Each journey was a quiet act of community care. The drivers, retired men and women, part-time workers, young parents with a few hours to spare were the lifeblood of the service. BPRCVS supported them not just with training and insurance, but with community and recognition.  ​

It was about freedom, dignity, and connection. It was about showing that no one should be left behind because they couldn't drive or afford a fare and, in every journey, made, in every door held open, in every kind word exchanged on the way to the GP or the post office, the spirit of BPRCVS shone through compassion in motion.  ​

Group Support, Funding and Volunteering Forum

Date: Tuesday 24th June 2025
Time: 10:30 AM – 1:00 PM
 Venue: CVS Centre, 62–64 Yorkshire Street, Burnley, BB11 3BT
This FREE event is open to all  community groups, volunteers, staff, and the wider community. 🙌
💬 Learn more about:

• CVS-administered funding opportunities
  
• Volunteering support
  
• Local group support
  
• Real experiences from guest speakers including Pheonix RDA
  

 A light lunch and refreshments will be served.
 Booking essential: Email thehub@bprcvs.co.uk to reserve your place (limited availability).
 Parking available at St Mary’s Church.
Let’s come together to share, learn and grow our community support! 

BPRCVS The Hub is thrilled to be joining forces with local organisations and community groups to celebrate Volunteers’ Week 2025 – a national celebration of the invaluable contributions volunteers make to our communities every day.
From Monday 2 June to Saturday 7 June, we're inviting you to discover what volunteering is all about through a full week of free, informal taster sessions across Burnley, Pendle, Rossendale and beyond!
Why Get Involved?
Volunteering is about more than giving your time – it’s about making a difference, building connections, learning new skills, and being part of something bigger. Whether you're a long-time volunteer or just thinking about getting started, this is the perfect opportunity to find your place in the community.
You'll have the chance to meet inspiring local organisations including:

• BPRCVS
  
•  Pennine Lancashire Community Farm
  
•  SafeNet
  
•  Team Rise
  
• Inspire Motivate Transform (IMT)
  
•  Lancashire Wildlife Trust
  
• ...and many more!
  
  Ready to Get Involved?
  No need to book – just come along! Bring a friend, have a brew, and take the first step toward discovering how you can make a real difference in your community.
  For more info, email: thehub@bprcvs.co.uk
  Or follow us on social media: @BPRCVS
  Let’s celebrate the power of volunteering – together! 
  
  
  

We want to celebrate our sector – and we need your help!
All entries are entered into a prize draw to win £500 for your group/organisation!

Help us to celebrate the wonderful work and positive contributions the VCFSE sector makes in Lancashire and Cumbria.

If you're running a community group, arts and culture group, social club, sports club, charity, faith organisation, social enterprise, co-operative, community benefit society, working men’s club, housing association, trade union, or some other organisation that is benefitting local people we want to hear from you.

We know your time is limited, but we hope you'll spare a few minutes to help us prove the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector is vital to our communities, and as such deserves much wider recognition and support, but we need the data to evidence this.

This State of the Sector Survey has been created in partnership with our colleagues at other CVS organisations across Lancashire and Cumbria, Local Lancashire, Lancashire & South Cumbria VCFSE Alliance, and Inclusive North to understand the work the VCFSE sector does and celebrate the positive contributions being made in Lancashire and Cumbria. Similar surveys have helped to produce 'State of the Sector' reports in other counties, but we haven't had one for Lancashire and Cumbria, so your contributions will help achieve this goal.

If you are involved in a leadership role, we would be really grateful if you could complete the survey. Additionally, if you know somebody who runs a local a group or any of the types of organisations mentioned above, please pass the survey on and ask them to complete it too. We're looking to reach as many VCFSE groups and organisations in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale as possible.

You can access the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C6LQR8X
Or scan the QR code below.

To thank you for completing the survey, your group will be entered into a £500 prize draw!
To be entered, all you need to do is complete your contact details at the end of the survey so that we can contact you if your group is successful in the prize draw.

In partnership with...

Applications are now open for the 2025/2026 Small Grants Programme.

When it's gone, it's gone! Apply today to avoid missing out.

There are three tiers to the funding:

• Grassroots grants – up to £250.00: for un-constituted community groups that are working with the CVS to help achieve their community engagement activities / events.
• Community grants – up to £500.00: for constituted community groups.
• Longer-term community grants – up to £1000:  for constituted community groups who are proposing to deliver a project of 12 weeks or longer. 

Projects should strongly support specific local needs in the following key areas:

• Increasing opportunities to participate in local community action and activity
• Keeping people well and feeling part of their community
• Increasing resilience and improving mental wellbeing, enabling individuals and families to cope well, overcome barriers to achieving their potential and increase their skills
• Support people who are more vulnerable, such as those with long term conditions, who are frail and/or have complex needs
• Promoting greater partnership working between the community and services, and other VCF organisations
• Reduce social isolation, with a positive impact on health and wellbeing

For the application guidance and application form, please click here: CVS Administered Grants 

New dates for our Monitoring & Evaluation Workshops over the summer period. All details including how to book are on the poster above -  click image to enlarge.

We’ve had a fantastic response to our campaign promoting the available office space at The CVS Centre. Of the 4 office spaces available we now have occupants in 2 of the spaces leaving just 2 more offices available to new tenants.

To celebrate our 90th anniversary we're also running a special offer promotion that can't be beaten! So, don't delay, act today... click 'read more' to discover the office space we have available.

Tenants at The CVS Centre enjoy a range of benefits that other office spaces simply can’t provide. We’re the only dedicated VCFSE centre in Burnley! Benefits include low-cost rent, free room hire sessions, links to other third sector groups and organisations, easy access to the wide-ranging projects and services provided by BPRCVS, and so much more!

​Room 33 is perfect for a small team with capacity for up to 5 team members. The space is located on the first floor and is right in front of the disabled access lift making it a highly accessible office space. Small and comfortable with newly installed LED lighting, and lots of natural light from a south facing position makes Room 33 a very pleasant place to work. And the best of all… it’s only £2,325 per annum (155 sq. ft and all service charges are included).

Room 39 is also ideal for up to a 5-person workforce, but this office has a little more space to include a few pieces of office furniture too (or if minimal desk space is required you may be able to squeeze another 1 or 2 members of staff in), and there is additional storage space on the corridor outside. Situated in a quiet corner of The CVS Centre on the first floor and freshly decorated, this office space is bright and comfortable making for a suitable space for a hard-working team. And the best of all… it’s only £2,580 per annum (172 sq. ft and all service charges are included).

So, if you’re thinking about new premises, expanding your VCFSE business or group, or entering new operating localities come and join fellow VCFSE sector groups and organisations based at The CVS Centre. They love it, and we’re sure you will too!

Book a no obligation visit to see for yourself, but don’t wait too long as these are hot properties not expected to be available for too long. Simply call Carol Port on 01282 433740 or email reception@bprcvs.co.uk to enquire and/or book a visit.

And as part of our 90th anniversary celebrations we’re offering the first 90 days free of charge – an offer that can’t be beaten and is too good to miss!

Download our Tenancy Brochure for more information, and check out our Room 33 and Room 39 webpages.

Introduction
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The 1980s in East Lancashire were defined by a stark contrast between a proud industrial past and an uncertain economic future. For communities in Burnley and neighbouring towns places built on the back of coal, cotton, shoes, and steel the shift from industry to redundancy came with little warning and few safeguards.

 
In Burnley, unemployment spiked above 20% by the early part of the decade, while the economic bedrock of Pendle’s mill towns crumbled with every textile closure. In Rossendale, the once world-renowned footwear trade, centred in towns like Haslingden and Rawtenstall, faced an existential threat from cheaper overseas manufacturing.
The collapse wasn’t just economic it was social. Families who had worked the same factories for generations found themselves without direction. The structures of community that had once been rooted in shared labour trade unions, chapels, working men's clubs saw their influence wane. At the same time, the Thatcher government’s programme of welfare reform and public spending cuts further stretched the capacity of local authorities to support those now most in need.
In this vacuum, the voluntary sector emerged not only as a safety net but as a beacon of innovation and resilience. The Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Council for Voluntary Service (BPRCVS) already grounded in decades of civic engagement stepped up. From delivering emergency aid to building long-term capacity in community groups, BPRCVS evolved into an engine of empowerment. By adapting to new challenges and mobilising an ever-growing network of volunteers, it played a transformative role in helping communities survive and in many cases, thrive in the face of profound adversity.


 
Burnley in the 1980s: A Community at the Crossroads


In the aftermath of the industrial decline, the fabric of Burnley’s community began to unravel. The strong ties that had once bound local residents together whether through trade unions, religious groups, or social clubs began to weaken.

These structures of support, built on the collective strength of the working class, were no longer able to offer the same sense of security and belonging. The closure of the mills didn’t just affect the workforce it affected the very identity of the town. People who had worked in the same factories for generations now found themselves without work and, for the first time, without a clear purpose.

The effects of deindustrialisation were not limited to economic hardship. The erosion of community cohesion created a sense of alienation among many residents. Longstanding traditions and networks that had once provided stability and support were suddenly obsolete. With families spread out across the town and many facing the loss of income, the social bonds that had held Burnley together were fraying.

This sense of social disintegration was compounded by the national political climate, as the Conservative government under Margaret Thatcher pursued policies that many saw as hostile to the working class. Public spending cuts, a reduction in welfare services, and the weakening of labour protections left local authorities scrambling to address the growing needs of the population. At a time when many felt abandoned, the town of Burnley seemed to be caught between the remnants of its industrial past and an uncertain future.


For Burnley, the 1980s were not just a decade of economic decline, but a decade of profound transformation. The loss of industry marked the end of an era, but it also signalled the need for change. In this climate of uncertainty, it became clear that the town would have to rebuild itself not by returning to its industrial roots, but by finding new ways to meet the needs of its residents. It was within this challenging environment that BPRCVS emerged as a vital force for social change. As traditional structures crumbled, the voluntary sector stepped in, creating a new form of social safety net that was more adaptable and responsive to the changing needs of the community BPRCVS played a pivotal role during this period, rallying local residents and volunteers to address the critical challenges facing Burnley, including rising unemployment, housing shortages, social isolation, and the need for support among vulnerable communities.
 
In many ways, Burnley in the 1980s was at a crossroads. The town had lost its industrial identity, but it was on the brink of finding a new one that was rooted in community empowerment and mutual aid. The resilience of the people of Burnley, and the organisation that would help lead the charge, would soon prove that even in the face of adversity, communities have the power to rebuild, reimagine, and thrive.

1980–1981: Advocating for Disabled People


As the 1980s unfolded, the world was changing in ways that would influence not just the economic landscape but the social fabric as well. The International Year for Disabled Persons in 1981 provided an opportunity to address longstanding inequalities faced by disabled individuals. In Burnley, BPRCVS recognised the critical need for advocacy, and the organisation made a concerted effort to ensure that disabled people were not left behind in the community’s transformation.

The key to BPRCVS’s success during this period was its ability to bring together disparate groups and voices to create a unified front for change. A local committee was formed to tackle the issues facing disabled people in the area, and it was chaired by none other than Keith Hall, the editor of the Burnley Express.

This partnership between the voluntary sector, the media, and local communities became a powerful tool for social change. Through public events and media coverage, the committee was able to raise awareness about the challenges faced by disabled individuals, from inaccessible buildings to limited employment opportunities and inadequate support services.

One of the first major campaigns led by BPRCVS focused on the physical barriers that made life difficult for disabled people in Burnley.
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Buildings that had been constructed without consideration for accessibility were a constant source of frustration, and for many disabled individuals, the lack of ramps, lifts, and accessible facilities meant that simply getting around town could be an ordeal. BPRCVS’s campaign not only highlighted these issues but also called for concrete solutions. The media campaign played a crucial role in changing public perceptions, putting pressure on local authorities and businesses to make their premises more accessible.
 
But BPRCVS’s advocacy didn’t stop with physical accessibility. The organisation also focused on improving the social infrastructure for disabled people, with the Volunteer Bureau playing a central role. 

By working closely with Age Concern Burnley, BPRCVS was able to train volunteers who could offer support to disabled individuals in a variety of ways. Volunteers helped with everything from shopping and companionship to providing assistance at public events. This kind of grassroots support helped to fill the gaps left by statutory services, which were struggling to meet the growing demand for assistance.
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In addition to these direct services, BPRCVS recognised the importance of employment for disabled people. With the support of the Burnley Co-operative Society, BPRCVS explored job and volunteering placements for disabled individuals, offering them the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the local economy and community.

This was a groundbreaking initiative at the time, as disabled people were often excluded from the workforce due to prejudice and lack of opportunity.

One of the most innovative and forward-thinking programs introduced by BPRCVS during this period was the pre-retirement courses for medical staff at Reedley Hall.

Recognising the untapped potential of retirees as volunteers, BPRCVS helped facilitate a program that trained older people to become active participants in the community, particularly in roles that supported the elderly and disabled. This initiative not only provided valuable skills and experiences to retirees, but it also opened up new avenues for volunteering and community engagement.

Another major achievement for BPRCVS in 1980 was the rediscovery of a long-dormant fund, originally held by an Old People’s Welfare Committee. The fund was allocated to the Friendly Visiting Scheme, which aimed to provide companionship to isolated elderly people many of whom were living with disabilities. This was a crucial service at a time when elderly people, particularly those living alone, were at risk of being forgotten. The Friendly Visiting Scheme helped alleviate social isolation, offering elderly individuals not just practical assistance but also emotional support.

Throughout 1980 and 1981, BPRCVS was at the forefront of advocating for disabled people, pushing for changes that would make Burnley a more inclusive and compassionate place for all. By focusing on accessibility, volunteerism, and employment opportunities, BPRCVS helped to create a community where disabled people could live with dignity and independence. The organisation’s efforts during this time set the stage for further advancements in the following years, as it continued to advocate for those on the margins and work toward a more equitable society.

1982–1984: New Independence and Broader Reach
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The early 1980s marked a pivotal moment in the evolution of the Burnley and District Council for Voluntary Service (BPRCVS).

In 1982, following national recommendations, the organisation underwent a significant restructuring. It formally separated from the Citizens Advice Bureau, allowing BPRCVS to operate independently and pursue a broader, more ambitious mandate.

This shift not only granted the CVS greater autonomy but also paved the way for its expansion across East Lancashire, extending its reach into communities that had long been struggling with the fallout from deindustrialisation.

With newfound independence, BPRCVS quickly became a crucial player in addressing the escalating social issues facing the region. One of the organisation’s early and most impactful partnerships was with Shelter, the national homelessness charity.

As Shelter opened its Burnley branch, BPRCVS was there, helping to recruit and train volunteers, including a dedicated volunteer supervisor. Volunteers were placed in a wide range of vital services, such as Meals on Wheels, the Temple Street Multi-Purpose Centre, and Burnley General Hospital. These initiatives were lifelines for the community, providing essential services to vulnerable populations at a time when the local statutory services were under immense strain.

In 1983, BPRCVS continued to innovate, recognising the emerging needs of local community groups and charities. With many organisations struggling to cope with administrative tasks before the age of digital tools, BPRCVS volunteers introduced a duplicating and typing service.


This forward-thinking initiative enabled smaller groups, churches, and charities to access crucial support with paperwork, creating a more efficient and sustainable environment for their operations. At the same time, BPRCVS volunteers supported Burnley College’s Spectrum Project, which provided practical assistance to elderly and disabled residents by helping them decorate and repair their homes.

This was more than just a hands-on project it was a powerful demonstration of community solidarity, as volunteers directly contributed to improving the living conditions of the most vulnerable.

1984 was a year that captured the essence of BPRCVS’s ethos resilience, resourcefulness, and a deep commitment to its community.

Chief Officer Dorothy Lowe exemplified this spirit when she abseiled down the Keirby Hotel in Burnley to raise funds for the organisation.

The daring stunt, which raised over £1,000, was a symbolic gesture of the organisation’s unrelenting determination and hands-on approach to fundraising. It wasn’t just about financial support; it was a powerful message that BPRCVS was willing to do whatever it took to help its community no task too small, no challenge too great.

The same year, BPRCVS took a significant step in expanding its support for those grappling with grief and loss. After a year of groundwork and collaboration, the organisation helped establish a local branch of CRUSE Bereavement Care. This service, which provided crucial support to the widowed and their families, was the result of months of steering group work and demonstrated BPRCVS’s ability to identify and respond to the ever-evolving needs of the community.

It was a testament to the organisation’s growing influence, as it became a central hub for community care, supporting not just the practical needs of individuals, but also offering emotional and psychological support during times of hardship.

By 1984, BPRCVS had firmly established itself as an indispensable part of Burnley’s social fabric. With its expanded services, innovative solutions, and hands-on approach, the organisation was not only meeting immediate needs but also laying the foundation for the future. The sense of community was stronger than ever, and BPRCVS’s growing reputation as a beacon of hope and solidarity was beginning to spread throughout East Lancashire.

1985–1986: Community in Conversation

The mid-1980s were a time of growth and change for BPRCVS, as the organisation continued to innovate and expand its role in the local community. One of the key initiatives to emerge in 1985 was the introduction of Community Lunch Meetings. These informal, monthly forums held at Burnley’s Central Methodist Church quickly became a cornerstone of BPRCVS’s approach to fostering collaboration and dialogue across sectors.
 
These lunches brought together professionals from both the statutory and voluntary sectors, creating a space where ideas could be exchanged, partnerships forged, and resources pooled. The aim was simple yet profound: to strengthen the collective ability of local organisations to meet the growing needs of the community.
 
These meetings provided a platform for people to share expertise, brainstorm solutions, and build the network of support that was essential in an era of shrinking local services.

1985 also saw the launch of the Burnley, Pendle and Clitheroe Victim Support Scheme a major milestone in BPRCVS’s ongoing work to address the diverse needs of the community. With BPRCVS's support, 36 trained volunteers began providing assistance to victims of crime, helping them navigate the aftermath of traumatic events. This initiative was part of a broader societal shift towards trauma-informed community services, which recognised the deep emotional and psychological impact of crime and sought to provide holistic, compassionate support to those affected. For the first time, victims of crime in Burnley, Pendle, and Clitheroe had access to a dedicated support network, one that prioritised empathy and healing alongside practical assistance.

Simultaneously, BPRCVS deepened its relationships with disability-focused organisations, recognising the unique challenges faced by individuals with long-term health conditions. Groups like PHAB (Physically Handicapped Able-Bodied), Arthritis Care, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the British Diabetic Association were key partners in these efforts. Through these collaborations, BPRCVS not only provided support to individuals living with disabilities but also helped build a stronger, more interconnected network of organisations. This network enabled groups to share knowledge, combine resources, and amplify their collective impact, ensuring that disabled residents received the care, advocacy, and attention they deserved.

However, 1986 brought both challenges and opportunities for the organisation. The long-running Friendly Visiting Scheme, which had offered companionship to isolated elderly people, officially ended due to a shortage of volunteers.

This marked the end of a beloved programme, and many in the community felt its loss deeply. Yet, even as the Friendly Visiting Scheme was winding down, the spirit of the programme endured. The volunteers who had been involved in the scheme continued to fundraise and contribute in meaningful ways, sending birthday cards, Christmas parcels, and organising an annual concert. These small but profound acts of kindness were a testament to the enduring power of community, showing that even in times of change, the heart of BPRCVS remained focused on compassion and care.
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Out of the transition created by the closure of the Friendly Visiting Scheme came the formation of the Community Concern Group, launched in September 1986. This new initiative was designed to coordinate emergency provisions for those most in need.
 
Comprised of representatives from a diverse range of local organisations including the Salvation Army, DHSS, Social Services, and the Police the Community Concern Group's mission was clear: to ensure that no one went without the basics.

Whether it was food, clothing, or furniture, this group became a vital lifeline for families and individuals facing crisis situations. Its formation also evoked the spirit of the original Burnley Citizens’ Guild from the 1930s, which had first brought together local volunteers and organisations to provide emergency aid during the Depression.

The Community Concern Group thus built on this rich legacy, adapting it to the modern challenges of the 1980s, and ensuring that Burnley’s most vulnerable residents were never left behind.

These years marked a pivotal period for BPRCVS one in which the organisation cemented its role as a central, unifying force in the local community, tackling complex social issues with an unwavering commitment to support, collaboration, and innovation.

1987–1988: Youth in Action and Regional Growth

The years 1987 and 1988 marked a period of energetic innovation and growth for BPRCVS, as the organisation reached new heights in both its service offerings and its geographical reach. The Youth in Action programme, launched in 1987, was a vibrant and ambitious initiative that injected a fresh, youthful energy into the community.
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Aimed at 14–25-year-olds, the programme sought to engage young people in meaningful volunteer roles that would allow them to contribute to the community while also fostering their personal development.
 
Volunteers in the programme found themselves in a wide range of roles, from supporting probation services to embarking on a unique environmental project that involved rescuing 180 litres of frogspawn! a reminder of how diverse and dynamic the opportunities were. Through these activities, Youth in Action helped build connections between generations, providing young people with valuable skills while also bridging the gap between youth and older members of the community.

It was a clear sign that BPRCVS was not only focused on addressing the immediate needs of the community but was also thinking long-term, investing in the next generation of volunteers and community leaders.

During this time, the Volunteer Bureau had its busiest year to date, facilitating a remarkable 470 volunteer placements.
 
This surge in engagement underscored the growing recognition of the value of volunteering, both as a personal development tool and as a crucial mechanism for strengthening the community.

Bureau Organiser Jane Hadley encapsulated the essence of this movement when she said, “Promoting volunteering has a two-fold effect new people offer their services, and more of the community gain from their help.”

This simple yet profound statement reflected the heart of BPRCVS’s mission: to encourage active participation in the community and to create a cycle of support and growth that benefited everyone involved.

The demand for volunteer placements continued to rise, solidifying BPRCVS’s position as a hub for community-driven action.

As the year progressed, BPRCVS’s involvement in community issues deepened, particularly around the topic of youth homelessness. In 1987, the Community Concern Group sounded the alarm about the increasing number of young people facing homelessness in the area.

This urgent concern sparked critical discussions among local agencies, which would eventually lead to the development of the Housing for Young People Project just two years later.

 
The group’s intervention highlighted BPRCVS’s ability to not only address immediate needs but to anticipate emerging issues and take proactive steps towards finding sustainable solutions. It also reflected the organisation's commitment to inclusivity and support for all members of the community, no matter their age or background.

1988 was a year of significant milestones for BPRCVS. One of the most important achievements was the expansion of the organisation’s remit beyond Burnley to encompass Pendle and Rossendale, officially rebranding as the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Council for Voluntary Service (BPRCVS).

This expansion marked a pivotal moment in the organisation’s history, allowing it to broaden its influence and deepen its impact across a wider region. It was a reflection of the growing demand for its services and its increasing reputation as a leader in community support across East Lancashire.

 By reaching more areas, BPRCVS could strengthen the volunteer network, extend services to more residents, and address regional challenges in a more coordinated manner.

In the same year, BPRCVS launched the Hospice Care Committee, a dedicated initiative to support families navigating the difficult and often isolating experience of end-of-life care.
Through this programme, 15 accredited volunteers were recruited to provide vital emotional and practical support to families, ensuring that individuals facing terminal illness were not left without assistance during their final months. The establishment of this committee underscored BPRCVS’s ability to adapt its services to the evolving needs of the community, addressing sensitive and complex issues with compassion and professionalism.

Meanwhile, BPRCVS was also involved in a unique initiative that highlighted the organisation’s commitment to providing for the most vulnerable members of society. In 1988, the organisation began distributing butter and food from the European Union’s “Butter Mountain” a surplus of agricultural products that had been created as a result of European agricultural policies. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had famously sought to “raid” the Butter Mountain, criticising the EU's handling of agricultural surpluses and the wastage it represented. 

BPRCVS, however, saw an opportunity to put this surplus to practical use by redistributing it to local residents in need. By taking advantage of this unusual resource, BPRCVS was able to ensure that it served its core mission of supporting the community while also addressing the broader challenges that arose from European agricultural policies. 
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While the Butter Mountain was a symbolic reminder of the excesses of bureaucracy, it also became a vital resource for the community. By redistributing this food to local residents in need, BPRCVS demonstrated its agility in responding to global issues while also meeting immediate, grassroots needs. It was a prime example of how the organisation was able to leverage external resources to make a tangible impact in the local community.

The years 1987 and 1988 were, therefore, a period of both expansion and deepening engagement for BPRCVS. From empowering youth through volunteerism to expanding its geographic reach, the organisation cemented its role as a vital force in the region’s social fabric. With its growing portfolio of programmes and its unwavering commitment to service, BPRCVS was poised for even greater achievements in the years to come.

1989–1990: Activism and Housing Action

In 1989, BPRCVS received a £3,300 grant from Telethon, the UK’s first national TV charity fundraiser and a forerunner of Children in Need and Comic Relief. This marked the beginning of a new era—national funds fuelling local impact.

The Housing for Young People Project launched that year under Rev. Chris Cheeseman, offering secure accommodation to homeless 18–25-year-olds. Youth in Action volunteers supported projects from the Open Door Club to Coldwell Inn and the Probation Service.
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During National Housing Week, Dorothy Lowe, Chris Cheeseman, Anne-Marie McNulty, Marjorie Whinney and a group of volunteers slept overnight in Towneley Park in cardboard boxes to highlight youth homelessness. That same year, the project housed its first 29 young residents.
The Community Concern Group continued to expand, processing nearly 1,100 urgent aid requests mostly for food parcels, beds, and clothing.
Volunteer-run food drives, particularly among young people, were essential in keeping shelves stocked.
 
BPRCVS in Local Memory: A People's Organisation
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Throughout the decade, BPRCVS remained a constant amid chaos. As factories closed, support services shrank, and councils struggled, it became a bedrock for thousands across Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale.

Its success came not from sweeping policies, but from dozens of small acts: matching volunteers to causes, connecting families to food, creating safe housing, organising conversations, and always looking for the next emerging need.

Even local newspapers recognised this: from the Burnley Express’s coverage of disability awareness, to Rossendale Free Press features on housing and hospice initiatives, the press played a vital role in keeping the community connected.
 
Conclusion: A Legacy of Action
 
Between 1980 and 1990, BPRCVS underwent a remarkable transformation, evolving from a Burnley-based advisory service to a powerful tri-borough engine of community change. This transformation was not born out of grandiose promises or lofty ambitions, but through a methodical, grassroots approach rooted in careful listening, intimate local knowledge, and an unwavering belief in the power of people to come together and support one another.


As the organisation navigated the socio-economic challenges of the 1980s, it took decisive steps to adapt and grow. BPRCVS didn’t simply respond to the needs of its communities; it shaped itself around them, tailoring its services and initiatives to address the specific, often urgent, concerns of Burnley, Pendle, and Rossendale.

 
Whether it was tackling youth homelessness, empowering young volunteers through the Youth in Action programme, or establishing local hospice care committees, BPRCVS consistently prioritised the well-being of individuals and communities above all else. In doing so, it forged deeper connections within the areas it served, offering a hand to those struggling while uniting people from all walks of life for a common purpose.


The organisation’s growth throughout this decade was deeply influenced by its roots, which trace back to the 1930s, when the Burnley Citizens’ Guild was first established.


This modest initiative, shaped by the visionary Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth, laid the groundwork for what would become a long-standing tradition of civic responsibility.


Her belief in the power of local communities to drive positive change still resonated in the work of BPRCVS during the 1980s and beyond. Through her influence, the spirit of selfless service and collaboration endured, providing BPRCVS with both the foundation and the moral compass necessary to thrive amid the turbulence of the 1980s.


By the close of the 1980s, BPRCVS had grown into one of East Lancashire’s most trusted and influential institutions. It had become much more than a service provider; it was a hub of community action, a symbol of resilience, and a testament to what can be achieved when people come together with purpose and passion. The organisation’s growth was not just in size, but in the depth of its impact, helping countless individuals and communities find support, dignity, and hope in the face of adversity.
Reflecting on this vital decade, we are reminded of the enduring power of community in times of hardship.

When faced with difficult challenges, it is community organised, compassionate, and tireless that turns the tide. BPRCVS’s legacy, born out of humble beginnings and shaped by the spirit of those who believed in the collective power of individuals, stands as a beacon of hope and a reminder that no problem is too great when a community pulls together.

The 1980s were not just a time of growth for BPRCVS they were a defining chapter in the organisation's history, one that established the framework for the transformative work it would continue for decades to come.

And as we look forward, it is clear that the heart of BPRCVS’s mission remains unchanged: to empower and support those who need it most, and to strengthen the bonds of community that make our society whole.

Introduction: Community at the Crossroads 
The 1970s were a time of upheaval for Britain. Across the nation, economic downturns, strikes, inflation, and energy crises combined to create a climate of deep uncertainty. For Burnley, Pendle, and Rossendale once thriving centres of industry the decade marked a painful transition away from the prosperity of the post-war era. 
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Against this backdrop of national decline and local hardship, the Burnley, Pendle, and Rossendale Council for Voluntary Service (BPRCVS) emerged not only as a provider of relief but as a catalyst for community cohesion, empowerment, and innovation. 

This article traces the milestones, challenges, and remarkable adaptations that defined BPRCVS in the 1970s. 
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