A MUSEUM'S "best friend" will be running an exciting project in conjunction with local schools to celebrate 100 years of Rossendale Museum.

The Friends of Rossendale Museum, which is based in Whitaker Park, Rawtenstall, has won National Lottery Awards For All funding of £4,650 which has enabled a creative writing and arts project to go ahead.

And soon every primary school in Rossendale will receive a letter inviting them to attend the museum and take part in the scheme, entitled Centenary Arts and Literature Project. Adult groups will be invited too.

Friends' secretary Lois Howell said: "We can take about six or seven primary schools plus one or two adult groups and one or two disabled young people on the project so it will be a first come first served basis.

"The children, in classes of around 30, will be shown round the museum and given a camera to take photographs of exhibits.

"Once they are processed we will then have an artist and writer available in June to go into the schools and work with the children, and also the adult groups, to hold workshops using the photographs of the exhibits as inspiration. We are then hoping to have all the work completed and some of it will be published in a booklet which should be ready in time for the museum's centenary exhibition at the end of August."

Already the Friends are making a contribution to the project and Rossendale Council has already agreed to help.

Lois is also approaching local businesses to get help to provide the cameras for the scheme.

Curator Sandra Cruise said: "It is obviously good news and I hope the project will deliver what it is intended to do.

"It should help the adults and children gain new skills by giving them a chance to work with artists and writers."

Lois added: "The work the children will be carrying out will be cross-curricular.

"And it will also give some the chance to see their finished work in print in the booklet."