Location: Burnley Road

The ABD Centre is based on Burnley Road in Bacup and was created as a dedicated community facility for older people and those living with disabilities. The building itself previously operated as a Liberal Club, before it was taken on and repurposed as a civic-minded community centre.

The centre officially opened in December 1966, following a programme of renovation to adapt the former club building for its new public role. Funding for the transformation was supported through a mix of local donations and community backing, including contributions linked to organisations such as the Rossendale Blind Society, alongside other local funds and groups supporting the project at the time.

More recently, the ABD Centre has continued to evolve rather than stand still. It secured National Lottery funding in 2020, with later work helping to bring the building back into fuller community use after a period when it was underused. It now operates as an active venue again, hosting local groups and activities, whilst still retaining its core identity as a place intended to benefit the people of Bacup.

The building’s reuse as the ABD Centre reflects a wider pattern seen across Bacup, where social clubs and meeting halls were adapted to meet changing community needs rather than abandoned. Its continued occupation has helped preserve the structure itself, allowing original features and proportions to survive whilst the interior has been sensitively adjusted over time. In this way, the ABD Centre stands as an example of how Bacup’s built heritage has been sustained through practical reuse, ensuring that older buildings remain active parts of everyday life rather than static reminders of the past.