MID Pennine Arts has received a grant of over £28,000 to help it through the Covid-19 crisis.

The Burnley-based organisation has received £28,300 of public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England’s Emergency Response Fund.

MPA’s Creative Director Nick Hunt said: “We are immensely grateful to the Arts Council and others for supporting us when we really needed it. We know that the pandemic has hit many people, and many companies in our sector, really hard.

“We’ll be determined to pay back this investment by ensuring that our communities see real, lasting benefits from our long-term projects – Spodden Valley Revealed for Rossendale, Burnley Canal Festival, new greenway routes around Pennine Lancashire, and Pendle Radicals for the Pendle Hill programme.”

MPA has also announced a new trustee has come on board, Amber Corns, the former brand manager at Burnley Council and now account manager at +24 Marketing.

She said: “I’ve been a huge fan of MPA’s work for years, and was lucky enough to work closely with them in my Burnley role. I’m delighted to be able to join the board, and look forward to bringing my passion and enthusiasm to their great work.”

Nick Hunt added: “We are delighted to welcome Amber to the board. Her skills, experience and passion for what we do will be invaluable in helping us navigate the future after Covid-19.”