Fylde coast promoter marks ten years in business

It was originally the brainchild of Jane Littlewood, known by everyone as Jane Rabbit.

And it came from unlikely origins – one of those lightbulb moments followed by a project in the Christmas holidays.

Jane said: “I saw something on the TV one night which made me think that we should be celebrating the lovely town of Cleveleys - back then it was a closely guarded secret.

“After chatting with the team the next day, we decided to use our collective talents to make a website about our adopted home town.”

Jane, originally from Leeds, said: “The new promenade was just about finished, and we so loved it here, we wanted to share it and show it off. The website was a hit from the beginning, popular both with people who live on the Fylde coast and visit.”

At the end of January 2010 the first website, Visit Cleveleys, was first launched. It was followed by others in subsequent years to cover the whole coast.

She added: “Last year we reached an audience of about 4.5 million people, which is amazing, when you think we’ve done that all by ourselves.”

She added that a new mobile app was in development, and a refresh of the sites planned for later in the year.

Not content with showcasing the area, the Rabbit Patch team has also had its sleeves rolled up and done a lot of volunteering too.

They’re all active members of the Rossall Beach Residents and Community Group which Jane Chairs, and help out with the community work which she organises.

She said there was a huge voluntary community on the Fylde, doing all kinds of great things, many of which just slip under the radar but are so important to their own areas and members.

Jane said: “We’ve spent time hunting out the tiny groups with a handful of members and no money.

“They make the area where they live and work better, or life better for the people they serve.”