Under the Government’s Pride in Place Strategy, Accrington has been awarded £20M over a 10 year period, starting April 2026. Led through the Accrington Neighbourhoods Board, local people and partners will shape how investment is used to address the needs of our communities, whether that means revitalising public spaces, improving connectivity, or strengthening local pride and safety.
Accrington: The Next Chapter, Pride in Place Funding 2026-2036
Accrington will receive up to £20 million of funding over a 10-year period. This endowment-style funding (75% capital, 25% revenue) is designed to help deliver local priorities such as regenerating high streets and neighbourhood centres, enhancing transport and digital connectivity, improving public safety, or supporting community wellbeing.
The Accrington Neighbourhoods Board will guide the vision and delivery of Accrington’s new plan – “Accrington – The Next Chapter”. The board includes community leaders, local organisations, councillors, and the local MP, ensuring that the voices of local people are at the heart of decision-making.
This neighbourhood-led approach marks a step-change in how towns like Accrington can shape their future – putting local people at the heart of the decision-making process and building a place we’re proud to call home.
The Pride in Place funding and structures give local areas the flexibility to invest in what matters most to their communities. Whether it’s restoring much-loved public spaces, supporting local culture and heritage, developing skills and jobs, or tackling anti-social behaviour, the funding can be used to address the unique challenges and opportunities within each neighbourhood. The focus is on empowering places like Accrington to create lasting change, driven by local knowledge and ambition.
Be Part of Accrington’s Next Chapter
The Pride in Place Board is looking for experienced, committed volunteers to take on leadership roles that genuinely matter. Accrington is at a pivotal moment with real investment, a clear long-term plan and a community ready to see change. We need the right people around the table to help make it happen.
These roles sit at the heart of the Government’s Pride in Place programme, working alongside residents, businesses, public services, elected representatives and community organisations to drive Accrington’s long-term regeneration. This is not a talking shop. We are looking for people who will roll up their sleeves, bring real expertise and help deliver lasting change for the town and its communities.
To bolster our current board membership we are particularly interested in individuals who:
All roles are voluntary. What they offer in return is the chance to make a real and lasting difference to the place you call home.
We’re looking for three volunteers in the following roles:
Strategic Development, Investment and Future Opportunities Lead
Purpose
Accrington needs people who can open doors. This role is about identifying and securing the investment, funding and partnerships that will drive economic growth, create jobs and support long-term regeneration in the town and surrounding area.
Accrington has real potential to attract investment, grow its economy and create opportunities for local people. This role is about making sure that potential is realized, connecting the right people, backing the right projects and ensuring the Pride in Place programme delivers lasting economic benefit for the town.
Ideal Candidate
Environment, Transport and Connectivity Lead
Purpose
Accrington’s public spaces, transport links and digital infrastructure all have a direct impact on quality of life. This role is about championing the practical improvements that make a town somewhere people are genuinely proud to live, work and travel through.
From safer streets and better cycling routes to green spaces and faster broadband, the Pride in Place programme has set ambitious goals for the physical environment. We need someone with the knowledge and credibility to help us deliver them.
Ideal Candidate
Community Safety Lead
Purpose
People need to feel safe where they live. This role is about working across agencies and communities to reduce anti-social behaviour, build trust and make sure Accrington is a place where residents feel confident and communities are resilient.
This role will work with partners to identify opportunities that improve perceptions of safety, reduce anti-social behavior, strengthen community cohesion and support local pride.
Community safety is not a standalone issue it runs through everything the Pride in Place programme is trying to achieve. A safer town centre, stronger neighbourhood relationships and a visible reduction in crime and disorder are all central to the long-term vision set out in Accrington: The Next Chapter.
Ideal Candidate
General Person Specifications
All applications should demonstrate
Time Commitment
What success looks like
People who take on these roles will be judged by what they help to achieve. That means:
Sami Smithson (Chair)
Sami Smithson was born and raised in Hyndburn and has a strong personal connection to the borough. Growing up in one of the area’s most socially deprived communities has given her first-hand understanding of the challenges facing local people and the importance of targeted investment in regeneration.
Sami’s career began in sport, where her achievements as an international athlete were matched by her leadership skills. She went on to serve for 18 years in the Royal Air Force, reaching the rank of Squadron Leader, where she held senior facilities management roles on UK bases and overseas, including Iraq and Afghanistan along with command roles in organisational management and personnel support. During her career she managed complex budgets of more than £30 million, oversaw infrastructure development, delivered stabilisation work within communities in the UK and overseas, and led teams of more than 300 personnel in operational support roles.
Since returning to Hyndburn, Sami has become Chair of Accrington Stanley Women Football Club. Under her leadership, the club has quadrupled its turnover within two years and established itself as a strong community asset. She has also led change programmes across other national sporting bodies, including British Horseracing and British and Welsh Judo Associations.
Sami’s combination of strategic leadership, budget management and community engagement makes her well placed to chair Hyndburn’s Neighbourhoods Board. Her priority is ensuring the £20 million Plan for Neighbourhoods investment delivers real and lasting benefit for local residents, rooted in authentic community voices and aspirations.
Sarah Smith MP
Sarah Smith is the Member of Parliament for Hyndburn, bringing to the role a strong background in the charity sector and a long-standing commitment to supporting young people. Before entering Parliament, Sarah spent over a decade working with youth-focused charities, where she led programmes aimed at improving life chances for disadvantaged young people across the North West.
Alongside her professional work, Sarah has volunteered for many years as a youth worker, helping to run local clubs and mentoring schemes. Her frontline experience has given her a deep understanding of the challenges young people face — from access to education and employment to mental health and community safety.
Since her election in 2024, Sarah has worked to bring that grassroots experience into national politics. She is a passionate advocate for investing in young people, supporting local services, and creating opportunities across Hyndburn. Her work in Parliament is shaped by her belief that strong communities are built from the ground up.
As a member of the local Town Board, Sarah is committed to working with residents, partners, and community groups to ensure that regeneration and investment reflect the real needs and aspirations of the people who live and work here.
Munsif Dad – Hyndburn Borough Councillor
Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP is the Leader of Hyndburn Borough Council. He brings over 20 years of dedicated local political service both with Hyndburn Borough Council and previously with Lancashire County Council.
He has served 25 years as a Justice of the Peace demonstrating a life-long commitment to justice, leadership and public service.
Munsif’s local political career has seen him take up various positions across the Council, including as a Cabinet Member, Leader of the Opposition, Mayor of Hyndburn and now Leader of the Council.
He is a passionate community ambassador and advocate for many local groups, working for 15 years in the voluntary sector championing grassroots initiatives and supporting some of the most vulnerable members of society.
His deep understanding of community needs, combined with his experience in governance and justice, makes him a respected voice in both civic and political arenas. Munsif continues to use his platform to fight for equality, accountability, and social cohesion, always rooted in the belief that public service must be guided by compassion, integrity, and action.
He was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2019 which recognises hands-on service to the community.
Kimberley Whitehead – Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner
As the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire, Kimberley brings extensive experience in public service, community safety, and strategic project delivery to the Neighbourhood Towns Fund Board. She has over 20 years’ experience in management roles, specialising in performance improvement, efficient public service delivery, and overseeing complex, multi-agency initiatives.
Her current role involves working closely with communities across Lancashire to tackle crime, support victims, and build safer neighbourhoods.
Alongside Kimberley’s policing responsibilities, she has recently played a key role in major regeneration efforts within Hyndburn as the Deputy Leader of Hyndburn Council. Working closely with partners and residents to ensure public funding is spent wisely, transparently, and delivers long lasting benefits.
As an Accrington resident, she has a strong understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our towns. Her focus is on ensuring that investment creates opportunities and delivers long-term benefits for all.
Adrian Leather – Active Lancashire
Adrian is the CEO of Active Lancashire and has worked in Lancashire for over 20 years, focusing his energy on making Lancashire a healthier and more equitable place through partnerships which enable active lives.
Adrian’s background is in community development and criminal justice; however, his passion is in collaborating with other organisations to help them be more successful and innovative.
Adrian is also Deputy Chair of the Lancashire Teaching Hospital Trust Board and Chair of the Trust Workforce Committee.
Andy Parkin – Accrington & Rossendale College (Campus Principal)
Andy Parkin has been an integral part of Nelson & Colne College Group Senior Leadership Team for the past nine years, bringing a wealth of experience and a passion for technical and adult education. Currently working as Campus Principal, Andy is a strong advocate for collaboration and believes in the co-design and co-creation of curricula with employers and stakeholders to successfully meet the skills needs of the region. He has championed technical and adult learning, emphasising the transformative power of education for disadvantaged individuals. His efforts have centred on social mobility, helping young people and adults acquire skills for further learning and employment, and ultimately improving their lives.
Ashley Joynes – Lancashire County Councillor
Though born in Washington I grew up under Arizona’s desert sun. After serving in the U.S. Army Reserves with a Combat Support Hospital, I hitchhiked across the States, then ventured out to see the world, until a spirited Lancashire lass in Ireland captured my heart. I followed her to Hyndburn, and we built a joyful life while raising three lively boys, settling in Rishton after a stint in Blackburn.
My UK jobs included caring for the elderly and working factory shifts before I qualified as a Naturopath, where I was able to help people heal for over a decade. I later joined the library service where I uncovered the joys of archives. Facing redundancy threats, I pursued my passion for the past, earning a Master’s degree in Archaeology. For six years, I worked as a field archaeologist, unearthing Britain’s rich history—a privilege that few experience.
Though rewarding, archaeology often kept me from family and limited me from forging closer ties to my community. I shifted to part-time community work and charities, which sparked my political journey. After an unsuccessful run for Hyndburn Borough Council, I won a seat on Lancashire County Council, where I now proudly serve my community.
Rev Paul Hunter
Paul is Lancashire born and bred. After studying Law at the University of Sheffield, he qualified as a solicitor and worked in private practice for a number of years. Later, his career path was diverted as he studied Theology and went out to Tanzania, East Africa, where he trained people to become leaders in the Anglican Church. The extensive experience of a different culture was a challenge and delight to Paul, and he learned a great deal about community and development.
After a total of 13 years abroad Paul returned to the UK and took a post as vicar of 2 rural Church of England parishes, before being called with his wife (who is also a vicar) to ministry in Oswaldtwistle. He is committed to continuing to learn and share experiences of building community as a member of the Neighbourhood Board.
Madison Gore
Madison Gore is a primary school teacher from Oswaldtwistle. Having lived in the area her entire life, she has experienced the challenges faced by families, and these experiences have shaped her belief that every child deserves the best possible start in life.
After attending Rhyddings High School, she went on to study at Burnley College, where she received an award for excellence in Early Childhood Development and Learning. Alongside this, she worked in a local nursery in Accrington and supported the delivery of the Lancashire Breaktime programme.
After college, she was awarded a scholarship to study Early Years Education with QTS. Since graduating, she has taught in primary schools across East Lancashire and returned briefly to Burnley College to teach and mentor future early years educators. She is currently completing her SENCO qualification to enhance her knowledge and ability to support children with SEND.
After recently becoming a first-time mum, her passion for ensuring strong early years foundations and accessible family support has grown even deeper. She is committed to championing opportunities that help all children and families thrive within our community.
Dr Jane Eccles
Jane Eccles: wife, mum, GP.
Jane graduated from Manchester University in 1991 and worked in various hospital posts until she completed my GP training and she has been working as a GP partner at Peel House Medical Practice in Accrington for just over 24 years now.
Over that time, she has taken on additional roles, and she is currently the Clinical Director for Hyndburn Central Primary Care Network and sit on the board of our local federation the East Lancashire Alliance. She also sits on the Hyndburn Health and Wellbeing Board and uses her experience of working in the local community to connect with partners from a wide range of other organisations to shape services going forwards which really work for local people. She is, at the heart of everything, a working GP and she is proud to say that she always has the care of my patients as the top priority.
Outside of work, as wife and mum of four, she spends most of her time enjoying life with her family: walking the dog, homework, cooking and getting away in our campervan. They enjoy going to the theatre and watching musicals, and in the quiet time reading and flower arranging.
Damian Cunliffe
Damian Cunliffe is an Accrington-born entrepreneur with a big heart for his hometown and its future. A proud family man and hands-on hospitality leader, Damian is the driving force behind several successful ventures, including Tiger Lounge and Shout Dry Ice—a company supplying dry ice to hospitality and health sectors across the UK.
His journey started early, delivering milk and newspapers at 14, from an early age Damian would work seven days a week to build and reinvest in new opportunities. As a DJ and entertainer in the UK and Spain, Damian developed a passion for people, atmosphere, and creating unforgettable experiences. His sporting background instilled the discipline and determination that fuel his business success today.
A lifelong football enthusiast and volunteer coach with Huncoat United, Damian champions teamwork, respect, and community spirit. Alongside his wife Vicky and their five children, he’s deeply committed to Accrington—its people, its businesses, and its growth. Damian’s mission is clear: to give back, support local enterprises, and attract the funding and investment that will help the town thrive.
Wesley Davitt
Wesley Davitt is currently studying for a Master’s degree in material science at Loughborough University and is completing an industrial placement alongside his studies. Born and raised in Oswaldtwistle, he has strong ties to Accrington and a genuine passion for supporting local young people and community life.
Wesley has been involved in arts, culture, and community activities around Hyndburn from a young age. He volunteered and performed at the Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre when it was open and has been active in martial arts through the West End Community Centre and St Christopher’s High School, where he later taught judo classes to younger students while at the sixth form.
At both college and university, Wesley has held leadership and ambassadorial roles, organising events, supporting outreach activities, and leading a university society. He is passionate about using arts, culture, and community-led initiatives to engage young people, contribute to the long-term revitalisation and the development of 3rd spaces for young people to be invested in Accrington.
