A PROJECT to rejuvenate Bacup and Stacksteads will soon have a town centre premises in the former Norweb shop in Bacup.

Bacup and Stacksteads Single Regeneration Budget Partnership secured £4.75million of Government cash and chairman Derek Allen said: "We will have an IT suite with PCs which people will be able to use to access the Internet, do computer work or learn on courses.

"There will also be meeting rooms and offices and we are hoping to be in by early autumn."

But courses and clubs are already up and running on the Pennine Road estate at Sunnycrest Community Centre, which has taken over a block of four houses, part of which was a former homeless hostel.

Derek is also project worker at Sunnycrest. He said: "We are running five week basic computer courses at the centre in conjunction with Accrington and Rossendale College and we have also set up a gardening group with the help of the college.

"I am hoping the gardening group will continue once the college involvement has ended and the people will continue with the gardening and establish a vegetable plot and grow vegetables to sell to the community and maybe become a food co-operative.

"We also have a community mural project with artist Christine Worswick.

"I have worked on the estate for seven years and people here feel a sense of isolation. There are about 500 homes but no facilities.

"They struggle to access things, if the course is at the college in Rawtenstall it is expensive to get there -- there is a great deal to be said for local provision."