Lancashire Telegraph Business Awards: Social and Community Development (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Lancashire Telegraph Business Awards: Social and Community Development

3:58pm Monday 23rd November 2009 in

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DESPITE being one of the youngest organisations nominated, jubilant staff at The Grand walked off with one of the most competitive awards.

Our judges were bowled over by its attempts to smash down the ‘rural isolation’ of the Ribble Valley and reach its ‘pockets of deprivation’ in the past 18 months.

Staff at The Grand, based in an old cinema in York Street, Clitheroe, encourage children and teenagers into performing arts and make regular visits to schools.

They have also spent £400,000 on Clitheroe’s skate park and transport a mobile skate park to the more isolated parts of the borough.

And for good measure, staff run classes teaching pensioners about the benefits of technology to show there is something for everyone at the project, which is funded by the Lancaster charity foundation.

Executive director Steven Lancaster said: “I am really pleased about this award but also a bit surprised.

“It has only been 18 months but we have invested a huge amount into what we do and it is great to be recognised for that.

“I think winning a Telegraph business award will give us a boost. It confirms we are on the right track.”