Padiham Library ‘walking tall’

Working in partnership with Burnley Leisure and Culture, Newground Together and local walking volunteers, the library’s staff developed the schedule of walks. They start and finish at the library, including a walk to Gawthorpe Hall which is tied in with the Bronte connection.

The walks have also been a source of interest for local historians, with walks around the centre of Padiham.

The Padiham Library manager, Alison James, said: “We were very pleased to find that we had been nominated for the Burnley Together Partnership Award and invited to a ceremony at Burnley Mechanics. Owing to a Covid scare, we weren’t able to attend the prize giving ceremony ourselves.

“I’m proud to say we won the award which was very kindly collected on our behalf by one of the organisations we work closely with. They came to present it to us at the library where we now have it in pride of place.

“We have very much enjoyed working closely with Burnley Leisure and Culture, Newground Together and local walking volunteers. Not only are the walks good for our health, they also allow us to tell local people about all the other services we have in the library.

“The only minor disappointment was that we missed out on the opportunity to meet Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards who was presenting the awards”.

The current program of walks builds on the success of the Beat the Street walking scheme which the library’s staff ran last year. The idea was to get people of all ages out and about in the community, walking, cycling or scootering between beat boxes to gain points by zapping a card. Each participant was able to join a team and to use points collected to compete against other teams on a leader-board, including schools, community teams and small teams.

Later in the summer, it is planned to tie the current program of walks in with Planet Savers, which is the theme of the library service summer reading scheme, along with a Butterflies and Bees walk, and possibly an orienteering walk working with Pendle Forest Orienteering Group.

County Councillor Peter Buckley, Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for community and cultural services, said: “The days when libraries were quiet places where people spoke in hushed tones are long over. Nowadays, they are at the centre of our communities and cultural lives, providing a range of innovative services.

“Staff at Padiham Library have gone a number of steps further, literally! Walking is an excellent form of gentle exercise and it’s a great way for people to make new friends. And of course, the staff at the library are taking the opportunity to promote all the other services they offer.

“I would like to congratulate the staff on winning the award … it’s richly deserved. I’m sure Eddie the Eagle would have found something appropriate to say to them!"

The current program of walks is also being run from Burnley Central Library. More information on the walks and other services available at Padiham Library is available on the Lancashire County Council website.