Blackburn Youth Zone is a brand new facility for young people situated in the heart of the town centre within the Cathedral Quarter redevelopment zone.
Situated just yards away from the bus and railway station, Blackburn Youth Zone occupies a tight but prominent site. The centre has a fantastic urban design incorporating the exciting prospects of a floodlit, multi-use games area on the roof of the four-court sports hall.
Flexible activity areas, over three floors, have been designed to provide an extensive range of sporting, artistic, cultural, physical and recreational activities and opportunities. Ancillary space will accommodate group work, one-to-one and targeted project delivery and support services for the young people of Blackburn with Darwen.
The project enjoys complete cross-party political support, the total commitment of delivery partners and the enthusiasm of local youngsters.
Click here to find out more about the fantastic facilities that Blackburn Youth Zone has to offer.
Why Blackburn?
Statistics show that the borough of Blackburn and Darwen has the highest proportion of 0-19 year olds within England, at 31%. Seven thousand of these young people live within 1.5km of the town centre and this catchment area has the highest income deprivation levels affecting children in England and Wales.
With the £60 million regeneration of the Cathedral Quarter, the local authority is clearly committed to the issues of quality facility provision in Blackburn town centre. However with high levels of young people residing within the boundaries of the town centre, there has been no non-commercial activity-based youth provision in the area.
As a result the Place Survey, undertaken In 2008, indicated that both young people and adult residents felt the available town centre facilities for young people was an issue for improvement.
The Challenge
Over the last decade, a concerted effort has been made in Blackburn to tackle economic and social deprivation following industrial decline in the area. However a key challenge for the town is how young people can be better served in the regeneration drive.
Blackburn Youth Zone aims to address the clear need for a facility, dedicated to young people and which contributes to strategic objectives around community cohesion, increasing participation and raising aspirations.
OnSide is supporting the development of strong cross-sector partnerships towns and cities in the North West and has successfully led the application to the myplace fund for Blackburn Youth Zone.
Other Youth Zones
