Rawtenstalll community's pledge for 'legacy' (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Rawtenstalll community's pledge for 'legacy'

10:30pm Thursday 21st June 2012 in Rossendale By Chris Adams

THE NEW boss at an iconic building pledges to create a ‘legacy’ the Valley can be proud of.

Catherine Murphy, 33, from Haslingden, took over at the helm of the St Mary’s Chambers in Haslingden Road, Rawtenstalll on Tuesday.

She replaces Lisa Thompson and Paul Spann as managing director of SMC Leisure, who own the lease for the building’s function suites for the next five-and-a-half years.

According to Catherine, the Grade II listed building will continue to provide an ‘elite service’ while welcoming groups from all sections of the community.

Formerly home to Rossendale Magistrates’ Court, the building is a licensed wedding venue and also hosts business conferences.

The accountant and entrepreneur now has high hopes for her new premises and hopes to replicate the work she has done at the Bacup Hub.

She said: “I am really excited about taking over at St Mary’s. We will have a community focus but with a business head.

“I want a venue the whole of Rossendale can be proud of. I want the Valley to have a genuine business presence and we’ll be employing a can-do attitude that this generation can be proud of.

“We’ve already got events booked through to 2014. We will be offering 30 hours worth of free community event time every week, subsidised by us. We will really try to spread our wings across the Valley.

“Things like comedy gigs and sporting events are what we hope to push.”