CHAIGLEY Manor children's holiday home, which shut its doors a year ago facing a cash crisis, is back in business.

The home will be officially reopened tomorrow by the mayor of Hyndburn, Councillor Maurice Cowell, following a major refurbishment.

The 200-year-old manor house was forced to close after stonework was declared unsafe.

Chairman of the Trustees, Nicole Cook, said the reopening had been made possible by the generosity of people across Lancashire donating around £80,000 in cash, goods or services.

As well as work to make the building safe, the revamp includes new bunk beds, carpets, curtains, kitchen equipment and fittings.

The trustees are now putting together a Heritage Lottery bid to continue the restoration work by putting in new windows and doors and carry out further stonework repairs.

The holiday home in the Ribble Valley is open to deserving or disadvantaged youngsters from across Lancashire who can enjoy a wide range of activities ranging from pond dipping and orienteering to water sports and caving.

Instead of running for six months, the home will be open all year round, catering for around 1,500 youngsters a year.

Facilities at the resource centre are also available for hire by community groups, or by businesses for seminars, training days, or residential weekends for personnel development and training.

Mrs Cook said "We need to maximise the usage of the building to help finance the holidays for the children."

Her husband, Steve, is project manager who takes the bookings and organises the holidays.

Tomorrow's reopening ceremony is also being attended by the mayors of Ribble Valley, Clitheroe, and Blackburn with Darwen.

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