The Council has launched a campaign to build a statue of Baroness Castle to celebrate the contribution she made to the borough, which she served as MP for 34 years, and the country as a whole. The statue will be made in high quality bronze and stand proudly in Jubilee Square, where Barbara would have often passed on her constituency business.

The aim is to have a celebratory unveiling on 6 October 2020, on what would have been her 110th birthday. Councillor Andy Kay, Executive Member for Finance and Governance, said: “Blackburn is the natural place for this statue; it will be a fitting tribute.

I’m very much looking forward to seeing it standing proudly in our town centre. I’m sure it will be enjoyed by local people of all ages and also tourists with an interest in high quality statues of exceptional people. Members of the public are invited to contribute to the cost of the statue via gofundme.com/BarbaraCastle where you can leave a donation. The creation is expected to become a national tourist attraction and a valuable addition to the borough’s collection of art.

If you would like to leave a larger donation or want to share details of memorabilia or special memories, contact Julia Simpson at julia.simpson@blackburn.gov.uk or call 01254 588598.