A VALLEY businesswoman has announced she is selling up as she faces a battle against cancer.

Catherine Chadwick, 35, who owns events venues Bacup Hub, the Owd Con Club in Bacup and leases part of St Mary’s Chambers in Rawtenstall, was diagnosed with the disease in February.

The mother-of-three said she has made the ‘very hard’ decision to put her properties on the market and hand back the keys for the rented venue after being told to rest by doctors.

Mrs Chadwick, who will in the future be focusing her attention on running her firm Chadwick Accountants and Auditors Ltd in Bacup, said: “I had a car accident in November 2010 which broke my spine in three places.

“I had all these businesses that I was trying to run while I was laid up on my back, and I had a breakdown, which is ongoing.

“Then Bacup Hub was broken into last year, and now, following a routine smear, I found out this.

“Luckily it was found in the early stages, and I will be having laser treatment to remove the cancerous tissue later this month.

“But the combination of these things and advice from people at the hospital telling me to take care of myself, means that I need to make this decision.

“It’s going to be very hard to give them up, especially Bacup Hub and the Con Club, because I could see the future for both venues and had so many ideas that have now been cut short.

“I’m very lucky that I do have the option to take a step back, which not everybody does.

“I really wanted to give Bacup what it needs, which is a bit of investment, and I was the one to do that.

“I just hope that the businesses stay in the hands of the community as much as possible.

“If it was up to me, I would give the Con Club back to the Coconutters, and have the council turn Bacup Hub back into a leisure centre.”

The Owd Con Club has a six month covenant on it, where community groups can make a bid for the building.

If a group does not put in a successful bid to take it over, the building will be put on the market for around £100,000.

Rossendale Council has the option to take back control of Bacup Hub before October, but failing that, it will go on the market.

A supermarket and an events firm have submitted expressions of interest for Bacup Hub.