It's a wee bit of heritage in a loo

The centre was the brainchild of the late Joyce Kelly, former editor of the Darwen News and Advertiser and a Lancashire Evening Telegraph community correspondent, but she died before centre co-ordinator Susan Coughlin finally a secured grant and got the project off the ground.

Mother-of-three Susan, who was born in Mill Street, Darwen, and returned to the town three years ago, said: "Joyce left me with a mission."

Susan, who describes herself as 45 and on the way down, secured £7,000 of European Social Fund money with help from Bootstrap Enterprises, in Blackburn.

The centre, in the pavilions on Belgrave Square, was in a run-down state and was refurbished by volunteers who worked hard to get the centre ready for opening in October.

It is used to display crafts and miniatures including clay work, glass painting, jewellery, photography and lace making and is also open to people who want to display their own work.

Susan runs the centre with a team of seven.

She said: "I have had people from all over visit because the Lancashire witches heritage trail mentions Darwen

"People from Germany called in and we had a family from America who had originally come from Pendle and the daughter was retracing her mother's steps. "I was also asked to trace a local man who makes miniatures of people's houses by a couple from Barrow-in- Furness."

Besides the craft work, the centre volunteers also run their own theatre group performing various plays around the area on history and recycling themes.

It is open Mondays to Saturdays, and on Tuesdays it is a base for the volunteers bureau and the Ethnic Minorities Development Association.

Street entertainers provide entertainment on a Saturday when workshops are held.

The centre has its website at http://www.communigate.co.uk/lancs/darwenheritage craftcentre/index.phtml.

The site was built through the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's website at www.thisislancashire.co.uk.

Picture: Susan Coughlin outside Darwen Heritage and Craft Centre