ABOUT
IT ALL BEGAN IN THE SUMMER OF 2008 WITH A SIMPLE VISION AND A BIG BBQ. WHAT STARTED AS A FREE COMMUNITY GATHERING, FUELLED BY LOCAL CHURCHES COMING TOGETHER - LOVE CLITHEROE WAS IGNITED. OVER THE NEXT DECADE, THAT SMALL GATHERING GAINED TRACTION, EVOLVING INTO A BELOVED ANNUAL FUN-DAY THAT WELCOMED UPWARDS OF 2,000 PEOPLE.
AS OUR VISION GREW, SO DID OUR PARTNERSHIPS. JOINED BY THE GRAND AND LOCAL BUSINESSES, WE TOOK TO THE TOWN’S ICONIC BANDSTAND IN 2018 TO LAUNCH THE FIRST-EVER 'CAROLS AT THE CASTLE.' THIS "ROCKED UP" CAROL CONCERT HAS SINCE BECOME A FULLY-BOOKED FIXTURE IN THE TOWN CALENDAR, MARKING THE START OF THE FESTIVE SEASON.
FOR YEARS, THE DREAM OF SOMETHING GREATER WAS FORMING—A TRANSITION FROM A FUN-DAY INTO A FREE COMMUNITY FESTIVAL. AFTER A SUCCESSFUL PILOT IN 2024, WE TOOK A FALLOW YEAR TO DIG FIRM FOUNDATIONS, PARTNERING WITH THE RIBBLE VALLEY GATEWAY TRUST TO ENSURE THE FUTURE OF LIVE AT THE CASTLE AND CHURCH AT THE CASTLE.
THROUGH EVERY CHAPTER, OUR CORE VALUES HAVE REMAINED UNCHANGED:
BUILDING COMMUNITY,
HAVING FUN,
AND INSPIRING FAITH
LOVE CLITHEROE IS AN OUTPOURING OF GENEROSITY; A GIFT FROM THE TOWN, TO THE TOWN. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL COLLABORATION WHERE INDIVIDUALS, CHURCHES, AND ORGANISATIONS UNITE TO CREATE SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY.
TEAM
OUR TEAM OF OVER 100 WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS COME FROM PARTNERING CHURCHES AND ORGANISATIONS FROM ACROSS THE TOWN.
WE HAVE A CORE LEADERSHIP TEAM:
DAVE THORNBER (CHAIR)
IAN MITCHELL
NAOMI LYNAS
REV SAM CHEESEMAN
MEG BRIERLEY
DAN FINN
TRUSTEES
LOVE CLITHEROE IS A PROJECT OF RIBBLE VALLEY GATEWAY TRUST. THE TRUST EXISTS TO SERVE THE COMMUNITIES OF THE RIBBLE VALLEY THROUGH ITS FOUR PROJECTS: RIBBLE VALLEY FOODBANK, GATEWAY TRUST COUNSELLING, ART4ALL AND LOVE CLITHEROE. OUR TRUSTEES CAN BE FOUND HERE. THE LINK TRUSTEE FOR LOVE CLITHEROE IS PETE BRIERLEY.