Ali Insel
Ali and his wife Andrea founded the popular Little Barista cafe in Burnley town centre, but it’s a cafe with a difference. It roasts its own organic, fairtrade coffee beans from Sumatra, Ethiopia and Colombia and wouldn’t look out of place in a cosmopolitan city.
He arrived from Turkey 20 years ago and built a family here. Armed with 15 years of hospitality experience and with an army of loyal coffee lovers from working in other venues, he saw a gap in the market for city vibes but in a smaller town. The idea for Little Barista was born and the rest is history!
Ryan Evans
Ryan is head distiller at Batch Distillery, creating unique flavours of gin. His career there started as an apprentice at 18 and his first creation, which was a vodka, ended up being stocked in Selfridges! Ryan struggled at school, coming out with just one GCSE in science, which luckily is the subject that is key to his alchemy. Ryan quickly became the youngest distiller, then head distiller, in the country and has since become a director of Batch Distillery. He’s also turned his passion for science into a business idea – ZenTrek Supplements, showing how disappointing grades at school do not have to define you or reflect on your work ethic.
Diana DoGood
Diana is the alter ego of Burnley boy Ollie Daley, who from the age of eight felt like he didn’t fit in. Ollie found his tribe at Burnley Youth Theatre and his love of performing was firmly established. Diana DoGood was born after the lockdown, when Ollie had an idea for a one-off charity event. However, Diana received such a warm welcome by the hometown crowd that she has become a firm fixture on Burnley’s events scene. Diana has performed alongside stars from RuPaul’s Drag Race, and despite performing in places like Manchester, is the first to admit that there’s no place like home.
Ousama Abdallah
Ousama, his wife and then newborn baby fled both Syria and Lebanon before finding safety in Burnley. Desperate to work like he has always done, he volunteered to paint benches in the parks for Burnley Council, as well as at the Burnley FC In The Community food bank. When a stall became available on Burnley Market, he seized the opportunity around his English classes and established Mister Falafel. Mister Falafel has been a huge hit, and you can even take tea served in beautiful ornate Turkish teacups.
Justine Bedford
Justine is the landlady of the famous The Royal Dyche pub, close to Burnley FC’s Turf Moor. She has won several awards for transforming the reputation and success of the pub, although admits she “accidentally” became the owner at 21 after doing a favour for a family friend. What was supposed to be a short-term stint has turned into 13 years at the helm. Justine and the pub made global news after renaming it from The Princess Royal to The Royal Dyche, a promise she made then Burnley FC manager Sean Dyche if the club qualified for the Europa League.
Jessica Gizon
Jessica is still only a teenager, but has achieved incredible sporting achievements that most adults would struggle to secure. She excels in a wide range of sports including cricket, football, horse riding, swimming, golf, rugby, athletics and track – we’re tired just thinking about it all! Her goal is to represent England in as many sports as possible and her number one fan is younger sister Olivia, who enjoys watching her at tournaments. Aged 12, Jessica was the youngest nominee in the Young Achiever Category at the Active Burnley Awards.
Jay Rodriguez
Burnley-born Jay – affectionally known as Jay-Rod – played football for his hometown for many years, although he is currently at Wrexham FC which is also having a moment. Off the pitch, Jay is passionate about supporting his community, including being an ambassador for Pendleside Hospice. No matter where in the country he plays football, he is partial to the Lancashire countryside, a bene ‘n’ hot and an Enzo’s, an Italian takeaway with a 40-year history in Burnley. Jay has passed his love of football to his young daughter and is a champion of women in the sport.
Navida Naz
Navida’s love of science started at Colne Road Library and has since shot her to the stars, landing an incredible career at NASA! Growing up in a large Afghan family who emigrated from Pakistan when she was a toddler, Navida made it her mission to learn as much as possible and remain determined. With her educational background in biology but her love for the solar system never ending, it took four years of rejection before she managed to secure a position in a highly regarded space exploration lab in the USA. Her key message for young people in and around Burnley is to not let others dictate your journey and never stop learning.
Lauren Saddington
Lauren is something of a TikTok sensation, with over 720,000 followers and six figures on Instagram too. However, Lauren has worked hard to get where she is today and is the founder of More Than Just A Princess. The company started with Lauren dressing up as Disney princesses for parties, and she had the nous to pivot during the pandemic, with her princess and Christmas characters heading to people’s doorsteps to raise spirits. The business was a huge success and quickly expanded into more actors, along with large-scale events.
Carrie-Ann Kay
Carrie grew up on Burnley’s Stoops Estate and didn’t have the most straightforward journey in life or her career. But fast-forward to today, and she designs bridal gowns for everyone from celebrities and Olympians to brides-to-be from across the country. Carrie learnt to sew from her grandmother, after whom her brand Rene K Couture & Bridal was named. Carrie loves to give back to the community through charitable efforts, and has previously worked with vulnerable girls and women to show them how learning to sew – as well as gaining maths and English qualifications – can help them create their own businesses.