SURVEYS and statistics can reveal a lot but they often don’t tell the full story.

Take the new ‘deprivation survey’ which has taken an in-depth look at communities in England.

According to the impressively-titled English Indices of Deprivation, Burnley is ninth worst in the UK, Blackburn with Darwen 12th and Pendle 18th.

To some extent you can’t disagree with the findings but perhaps they do make out that things are slightly more grim up north than they really are.

Of course there are some major challenges facing East Lancashire and local authorities are facing a constant battle to spread an ever-decreasing amount of money further.

And in one respect these findings may actually help secure additional funding for grants where ranking is taken into consideration.

But what surveys can’t show is the spirit of an area or the levels of optimism.

In East Lancashire a huge amount is being done to improve the area and the lives of everyone who lives there.

Inward investment is on the increase, exciting projects are taking shape.

Clearly there is a lot to be done and many in our communities need help.

But it would be wrong to assume that this survey proves that all is doom and gloom.