Celebrities support record attempt for largest gathering of people dressed as witches

Pendleside Hospice today launches its campaign to break the Guinness World Record for having the largest gathering of people dressed as witches.

And Samantha Giles, who plays Bernice Blackstock in the ITV soap, is working her magic by supporting the attempt, which will be undertaken at a family WitchFest later in the year.

Three other celebrities are also helping to promote the summer-long campaign – Pendleside ambassadors Jordan North (Radio 1 DJ and TV personality) and Jay Rodriguez (Burnley FC Premier League striker), and Simon Entwistle (Ghost and witches expert who has appeared on TV and radio many times).

The 50-year-old mother-of-two, who also writes children’s books, said: “Pendleside Hospice is situated at the heart of the Pendle Witches part of Lancashire and I became fascinated by the witches’ story when I decided to write and then research my first book ‘Rosemary and the Pendle Witches’.

“From a young age, when my mother used to read people’s palms, I have been interested in Wicca, which is a form of Pagan culture.

“Wicca is really about following the rules of nature. Watching the cycles of nature, the way it changes, the way it affects us in the way we live.”

The Pendle Witches were a group of women who were hanged in 1612 after being accused of witchcraft.

Samantha said: “They were women who used herbal and natural remedies but were accused of casting spells on individuals.

"They were blamed for everything that went wrong in the area. From landowners’ crops failing to farm animals going lame and even people dying in unusual circumstances.

“When I heard about the Witchfest campaign to raise money for the hospice I immediately wanted to get involved.”

Pendleside Hospice first created the world record in 2012 on the 700th anniversary of the Pendle Witches being hanged at Lancaster Assizes.

Some 482 people dressed as witches but a year later residents of Sort, Lleida, Spain, broke the record with 1,607 people.

Pendleside now hopes to bring the record back to England and to the historical home of the most famous of all witches by gathering a minimum of 2,022 people – a figure to relate to the year.

It is hoped people from all over the country with a fascination for witches will take part in the world record attempt.

The festival, to be held in Barrowford Park, will also include a sponsored circular walk to the home of the witches Pendle Hill, live music and other entertainment.

Chief executive at Pendleside, Helen McVey, said: “We are indebted to Samantha for the commitment she is showing to help raise £100,000 towards the continued palliative end-of-life care; health and wellbeing services; and bereavement counselling services that we provide.”

Samantha has appeared in Emmerdale – with two breaks – since 1998, having earlier played parts in other TV favourites Coronation Street, Where The Heart Is, Doctors and Dangerfield.

Off set she now spends a lot of her time writing her books – her third is about to be published – and creating spells and charms for her website which she launched almost a year ago.

The WitchFest will take place on Saturday, September 17, at Barrowford Park, when the world record attempt will be made.