Safiyyah Tayyeb

Nine people with personal connections to Colne Citadel plan to complete an 11,000-foot sponsored skydive at Black Knights Blackpool on August 21. They have raised more than £2,500 and aim to reach £3,000 for the Lancashire charity, which provides free counselling, support groups, a foodbank and other services without government or NHS funding. Trustee Gavin Melling and former service user Kelly Wilson explain how the charity has affected their lives and why they want to support its work.

Blackburn Cathedral will host Parishes in Bloom from August 21 to 24 as part of the centenary celebrations of the cathedral and the Diocese of Blackburn. Churches across Lancashire will create floral displays reflecting parish life, with the event organized by the Friends of Blackburn Cathedral. Entry is free, with a suggested £5 donation supporting the charity, and organizers expect the exhibition to showcase local creativity and community involvement.

Haute Dolci Blackburn is offering GCSE and A-level students 30% off desserts and drinks on August 20 and 21. The offer applies to dine-in and takeaway orders at the Church Street venue, requires students to show their results email, has no minimum spend, and excludes Fondue, La Dolci and Matilda Cake.

Ophelia Parkinson, Georgia Lee and Matilda Walsh of the 23rd Rossendale Brownies have become the first Brownies in their area to earn Girlguiding’s new eco award. Their activities included litter picking, recycling, planting bee-friendly flowers and vegetables, walking instead of using transport, organizing a book swap, donating or selling unwanted items, and making products from recycled materials. The award was introduced in April 2025 and requires Brownies to complete three environmental actions, including one sustained for at least a month.

Nala, an eight-year-old Chihuahua, urgently needs a new home after her owner was hospitalized following a fall and could no longer care for her. Pendle Dogs describes her as friendly, easygoing and compatible with dogs, cats and children, but says she is significantly overweight and needs a controlled diet and gentle exercise. The rescue is seeking an adopter who can settle her in immediately and commit to her long-term care, noting that applications do not guarantee adoption.

A £8.6 million, 37-apartment development at Attlee House in Blackburn has opened to provide affordable housing prioritised for employees of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust. Located near Royal Blackburn Hospital, the scheme is fully occupied and forms part of the wider 205-home Water’s Edge development, which includes 57 affordable homes. Funding came from Great Places Housing Group and Homes England, while sustainability features include all-electric energy, solar panels, EV charging, improved insulation and high-performance glazing.

Residents in Roe Lee, Blackburn, have been praised for organizing frequent litter picks through the grassroots group Keep Roe Lee Tidy. Volunteers have collected rubbish from alleys and hotspots, supported by donated skips, while councillor Sajid Ali urged residents to report fly-tippers. Blackburn with Darwen Council said its zero-tolerance enforcement had resulted in nearly £10,000 in fines and warned that serious offenders could face court action.

Misty, a tabby cat found sheltering in an abandoned sofa during freezing temperatures in Hyndburn, needs a permanent home again after her previous owner’s health declined. Cat Friends Hyndburn describes her as confident, affectionate, independent and suited to a quiet home with safe outdoor access, particularly with someone living alone. The charity says she is vaccinated, treated for parasites, microchipped and neutered, and is accepting enquiries by email.

Aroma Asian Restaurant in Burnley, Shagor in Burnley and Freya's Grill in Darwen were recognized at the English Curry Awards 2026. Aroma won North West Curry Restaurant of the Year, Shagor received Takeaway and Home Delivery of the Year, and Freya's Grill won both Voter’s Choice Restaurant of the Year and Restaurant of the Year for the North West. The restaurants credited their customers and staff, while Oceanic Awards chief executive Yasmin Mahmood highlighted the awards' role in celebrating the curry industry's contribution and marking the event's 15th anniversary.

Blackburn Cathedral will host two candlelight tribute concerts in August. J’Adele and her live band will perform Adele hits on August 14, followed by ABBA Reunion performing ABBA classics on August 15. Both concerts are scheduled to run from 7:30pm to 10pm and are expected to attract large audiences.

Darwen-based VB Distribution has become one of the first UK firms approved by HM Revenue & Customs under the new vaping duty scheme, which takes effect on October 1. The approval allows the company to obtain official duty stamps before August 31 and pay the tax when products leave its HMRC-approved warehouses rather than on arrival. VB Distribution says the arrangement will simplify compliance and help maintain product availability for more than 50,000 retail outlets during the transition.

The free Nelson Food & Drink Festival will return to Nelson town centre on September 12, running from 11am to 5pm with food, drink and craft stalls, cooking demonstrations, entertainment and family activities. Highlights include a live smoked brisket demonstration by Naem Rafiq of PitBoyz Smokehouse and Asian fusion cooking by social media chef Zaynah Din. Nelson Town Council events chair Sughra Bibi welcomed the expected return of more than 8,000 attendees, while Nelson-based Sugden Processing Equipment is sponsoring the event.