Emmerdale’s Samantha Giles works her magic for hospice WitchFest

Emmerdale star and self-proclaimed witch Samantha Giles is working her magic to help a hospice break a world record – and raise £100,000.

Samantha, who plays Bernice Blackstock in the ITV soap, helped launch the bid to break the record of having the ‘largest gathering of people dressed as witches’ today (Tuesday, March 1).

The attempt by Pendleside Hospice in Burnley will take place at a WitchFest on September 17. It is also supported by two of the hospice’s ambassadors – Radio 1 DJ and TV personality Jordan North and Burnley FC striker Jay Rodriguez.

Mother-of-two and children’s author Samantha, 50, said: “Pendleside Hospice is situated at the heart of the Pendle Witches part of Lancashire and I became fascinated by the witches’ story when I decided to write and then research my first book ‘Rosemary and the Pendle Witches’.

“When I heard about the WitchFest campaign to raise money for the hospice I immediately wanted to get involved.

“Here’s hoping we break the record and more importantly raise the £100,000 for the hospice.”

She added: “From a young age, when my mother used to read people’s palms, I have been interested in Wicca, which is a form of Pagan culture. In recent years I have provided spells to help people overcome or deal with situations in their lives.”

Launch of the Pendleside Hospice WitchFest campaign at the Pendle Inn, Barley, a village where some of the Pendle Witches lived.

The Pendle Witches were a group of women who were hanged in 1612 after being accused of witchcraft.

Samantha said: “They were women who used herbal and natural remedies but were accused of casting nasty spells on individuals. They were blamed for everything that went wrong in the area. From landowners’ crops failing to farm animals going lame and even people dying in unusual circumstances.”

Pendleside Hospice first created the world record in 2012 on the 400^th anniversary of the Pendle Witches’ trials when 482 people dressed as witches. But a year later, residents of Sort, Lleida, Spain, broke the record with 1,607 people.

Pendleside now hopes to bring the record back to England and to the historical home of the most famous of all witches by gathering a minimum of 2,022 people – a figure relating to the year.

It is hoped people from all over the country will take part in the world record attempt. The festival, to be held in Barrowford Park, near Burnley, will also include a sponsored circular walk to the home of the witches Pendle Hill, live music and other entertainment.

Helen McVey, chief executive at Pendleside, said: “We are indebted to Samantha for the commitment she is showing to help raise £100,000 towards the continued palliative end-of-life care; health and wellbeing services; and bereavement counselling services that we provide.”

The WitchFest campaign was launched today (Tuesday 1st March) at the Pendle Inn, Barley, a village where some of the Pendle Witches lived.

For more details and how to register for WitchFest, please visit the Pendleside Hospice website or the Pendleside Witchfest Facebook page.