The funding help with the return of Bradford Festival and a touring “pop up” arts venue The Beacon.

BRADFORD will get a further £3.5m in national funding to continue the legacy of its year as City of Culture.

The funding help with the return of Bradford Festival and a touring “pop up” arts venue The Beacon.

The news comes a few weeks after the announcement that Government funding will allow another temporary 2025 venue, Loading Bay in Bradford city centre, to re-open in May.

The £3.5m will come from Arts Council England through the National Lottery Project Grant: Place Partnership fund, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund.

Wednesday’s announcement said: “Totalling more than £3.5m this funding will support cultural events for children and families to run throughout the summer across the District as well as the return of the city-centre outdoor arts event Bradford Festival and pop-up community venue The Beacon.

“Funding will support Saltaire’s Peace Museum and see national and international artists produce and present work in the city. Bradford creatives will also be commissioned to develop new projects and, through the continuation of the Our Patch programme, community organisations throughout the District will have improved access to heritage and culture.

“This funding will also help cultivate the leaders of the future through the continuation of Bradford Culture Company’s Youth Panel to empower young people and grow their skills in governance and leadership, and Bradford Made’s free place-based cultural learning resources will be embedded into schools and other learning environments.”

Early estimates for Bradford’s City of Culture year show that over three million people attended 5,000+ events during 2025.

In December last year Bradford Council announced a key part of its legacy plan for Bradford 2025 would be the ongoing support for Bradford Culture Company enabling it to continue producing cultural events, attracting national partners and securing funding.

Bradford Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe said: “I’m delighted that major grant funders are committing investment into the legacy of City of Culture so early in 2026.

“The success of 2025 has obviously given them confidence to invest and means we can look forward to more quality cultural events and activities all across the district into 2026 and beyond, showcasing the district at its best.”

Dan Bates, Executive Director of Bradford Culture Company said: “Through this investment we can build on the momentum and impact of last year to create more opportunities for people in the district and further shape its future.”

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A WEST Yorkshire town is entering the competition to become the UK's first ever Town of Culture - a new national title from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, with a £3 million prize and a place in the country's cultural calendar at stake - but many people admit they can't spell it correctly.

Guiseley was once voted the most statistically average place in Britain.

Not any more.

Guiseley (often misspelled “Guisley”) sits on the A65 between Leeds and Ilkley, with good rail links to Leeds, Bradford and Ilkley, which makes it popular with commuters who want easier access to the countryside.

A short history

Archaeological finds show human activity around Guiseley since the Stone Age and Bronze Age, with artefacts discovered in and around the churchyard and on Guiseley Moor.

A Roman road ran close by, but the real roots of the settlement are Saxon, developing around a spring now known as Guiseley Wells, which supplied water to the early community.

By the medieval period Guiseley was an agricultural village and an ancient parish, with St Oswald’s Church at its heart; parts of the church date back several centuries and its tower is from the 15th century.

From the 18th century, cottage‑based wool and textile production grew, and in the Victorian era Guiseley industrialised, gaining a railway connection in 1865 and a town hall (now Guiseley Theatre) in 1867.

Notable landmarks

St Oswald’s Church is one of Guiseley’s key historic buildings, known not only for its medieval fabric but also because the parents of the Brontë sisters, Patrick Brontë and Maria Branwell, were married there in 1812;.

A copy of their marriage certificate is displayed inside.

Guiseley Wells, restored around 2000, preserves the old spring that sustained the settlement, and today it is an atmospheric spot surrounded by stone cottages.

The former town hall now operates as Guiseley Theatre, continuing its role as a focal point for local life.

Parks, walks and the outdoors

For green space in the town itself, Nunroyd Park offers open fields, woodland, cricket and rugby pitches, and a skate park, making it popular for walking the dog, family outings and informal sport.

Nearby, Otley Chevin Forest Park provides more dramatic scenery, with woodland trails and viewpoints over the Wharfe Valley, ideal for longer walks and photography.

A short distance away at Yeadon Tarn (Tarnfield Park) you can walk, jog or simply sit by the water, and the Leeds Sailing and Activity Centre there offers canoeing, kayaking and other outdoor activities.

Things to do in and around town

In the centre, the A65 and The Green form Guiseley’s main shopping and eating area, with a mix of independent shops and national chains reflecting its suburban growth.

The town is famous as the original home of Harry Ramsden’s fish and chip shop, which opened its first branch in Guiseley in 1928 and helped put the place on the culinary map.

Served from a humble wooden hut, people came from miles around to sample the famous fish 'n' chip supper.

In 1952, to celebrate the restaurant’s 21st birthday, Harry hosted “The Big Fry”. More than 10,000 portions of fish and chips were served in a single day – a world record at the time.

Today the business is world famous.

For leisure, Aireborough Leisure Centre provides sports facilities, and families with young children can head to Tumble Town Adventure Play, a soft‑play centre for under‑sixes.

Guiseley Theatre hosts a year‑round programme of amateur operatic productions, plays and pantomimes, giving the town a strong community arts scene.

Football fans can watch Guiseley A.F.C., the local semi‑professional club.

With its combination of history, green spaces and convenient connections to Leeds and the Dales, Guiseley offers plenty to fill a relaxed day or a short stay.

Most famous resident?

Apart from the Brontes and Harry Ramsden, Guiseley boasts another famous name: Sooty.

Children’s entertainer, Harry Corbett was born above the fish shop on Springfield Road, Guiseley.

In fact, he was the nephew of Harry Ramsden.

He bought the original Sooty puppet in Blackpool to entertain his children and was to become a favourite TV performer.

And what of the future?

The UK Government has recently launched a new UK Town of Culture competition, aimed at small and medium‑sized towns, with the winning town getting several million pounds to deliver a cultural programme in 2028. Towns are judged on three main criteria: telling their distinctive story, making culture accessible to everyone, and showing clearly how they will deliver the programme in practice.

Guiseley is entering the competition to become the UK's first ever Town of Culture.

Leading the bid is Codswallop CIC, a community-focused arts organisation and Community Interest Company based at Guiseley Theatre, dedicated to making theatre, music, and art accessible to everyone in the local area.

Jacob Phillips, Artistic Director of Codswallop CIC, said: "The average label was never true. Guiseley has always had an identity, a story, and a community that punches well above its weight. This competition is our chance to prove it on a national stage."

The bid draws on a town that sits at a genuine cultural crossroads - between Leeds, Bradford and Harrogate, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales - and carries a history richer than most. Birthplace of Silver Cross prams, Harry Ramsden's fish and chips, and the nation's favourite bear, Sooty, Guiseley has been shaping British life for generations without much of the credit.