WITH New Year’s resolutions on everyone’s minds, ANNA MANSELL spoke to women across East Lancashire to find out what their hopes and aspirations are for 2012.

Charlotte O’Connor, 20, singer-songwriter from Blackburn, who is signed to Sony Records: “The album release is now going to be in March and we are maybe going to be releasing another taster singer from that.

I’m going on an acoustic tour, with me, a guitarist and percussionist so there’ll be loads of gigs to spread the word. We’ve got a lot of nice things in talks for the year which I can’t talk about yet too..”

Ruth Loft, Blackburn and East Lancashire Breast Care Support Group, which hosts monthly talks and meetings at Beardwood Hospital, Preston New Road: “We are planning to give our ladies some treats and surprises, something to look forward to in 2012. We will, of course, continue to offer our support to ladies who have had breast cancer through an interesting programme of talks, advice, pampering and parties.”

Laura Massaro, world number four squash player and player of the year, Chorley: “My priority is to consolidate 2011 and to stay in the top four. My full focus is on the squash. It’s a disappointment to not have the game in the Olypmics, but we have such a strong world tour and some big events on home turf which I want to do well at.”

Karimeh Foster, Mayor of Blackburn and Darwen: “I wish for a peaceful year around the world, and in our area, where I am looking to inspire our young people to take the future seriously and to build it for themselves. We need a return to our heritage of engineering and innovation, young people should look into apprenticeships and learning skills.”

Dorothy McGregor, of homelessness charity Maundy Relief, Accrington: “We are looking to the new year with very mixed feelings, both scared and excited in the current economic climate. The boost we got from our patron Julie Hesmondhalgh winning £20,000 on The Cube TV show has gone straight to those with low incomes. We do wish to say a very special thank you to all the seen and unseen acts of kindness we receive.”

Sharon Crymble, fundraising manager at East Lancashire Hospice, Blackburn: “I hope to enjoy 2012 as much as I did 2011. It has been a great year for my family and myself. For the hospice, my resolution is to have the roof replaced in the spring thanks to the Lancashire Telegraph readers’ response to the Raise The Roof campaign, and to continue to spread the word about the hospice.”

Collette McCormack, Mayor of Hyndburn: “I do hope 2012 will be a better year than 2011. Something I’ve been doing all along, which I want to promote this year is keeping it local; shopping locally and doing as much as you can to support your own local borough is so important.”

Lindsey Patterson, from Maryvale in Blackburn, which provides accomodation for young mothers and babies: “We have projects in Manchester and Bolton where the funding has been pulled, and the homes will be closing, so here in Blackburn we really hope to keep the funding after March. We are always full and are always getting referrals. Until then, we have to keep doing what we are doing and hope we will keep the funding.”

Rachel Brown, Burnley-born Everton Ladies and England goalkeeper: “One of my lifetime ambitions has been to play at the Olympics so that’s my big focus for 2012. I don’t expect to hear anything now until about three or four weeks before the games, so it will be very much judged on league performance, then into training.

Aside from football, I want to actually set a date for our wedding; we got engaged in August.”

Harriet Roberts, fundraising manager for Wilshire-based charity, Child Action Northwest: “2012 is a big year for fundraising at Child Action Northwest as we plans to re-establish Pound Day which was first established 120 years ago by the founder of Blackburn Orphanage, James Dixon. We will be asking people to ‘give a kid a quid’ and will be staging a traditional fete in the grounds of the original orphanage building.”

Sophie Longton, 24, from Read, has had cystic fibrosis since the age of eight. In October, she ran a half marathon for the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Trust raising £2,300: “One of the friends I ran with is doing the London Marathon for the CF Trust and I’ll be helping her to fundraise. And I’m hoping to get a six month visa for Australia, where my boyfriend is moving to this week for work. I’m really hoping to get my chest stable enough to come off the antibiotics as the CF is causing problems for the visa. But I’ve still been running, even in the dark and cold.”

Naz Zaman, manager of Accrington-based Lancashire Woman’s Network (formerly known as the Lancashire Wide Network for Minority Ethnic Women): “We want to empower more women to voice their concerns, to provide education for women, to aid them into employment and further their careers, to encourage women to improve confidence and fitness, and to engage with women who don’t have access to mainstream services/provision.”