Youth Zone Darwen secures £279,000 funding

Youth Zone Darwen is now able to open week-round on a permanent basis after local businesses smashed its £250,000 fundraising target.

With a contribution from Blackburn with Darwen Council and longstanding Blackburn Youth Zone patron, Darwen-based Crown Paints, a grand total of £279,000 has already been raised - enough to run the Youth Zone for 12 months.

The temporary youth zone offer, which launched during the pandemic, can now run seven days a week for youngsters aged eight to 19.

It’s also paved the way for work to start at Meeting Places, the Youth Zone Darwen base, to transform it into a state-of-the-art facility for young people.

Wayne Wild, Youth Zone trustee and chair of Darwen Town Deal,  said: “We’ve been absolutely blown away by the amount of support for Youth Zone Darwen. We set out to raise at least £250,000 in January and it’s incredible that we’ve already smashed that target and raised even more!

"Local businesses can see what a difference Youth Zone Darwen is already making and the opportunity that exists to do even more. We’re now proud to have 10 patrons who’ve pledged their support, with a few others close to confirming."

Hannah Allen, chief executive of Blackburn Youth Zone and Youth Zone Darwen, added: "This money will be life-changing and exceeding the original target means we can do so much more – offer a wider range of activities, more outreach, longer opening hours and, importantly, we won’t have to turn young people away.

The confirmed patrons so far are Multevo, Watson Ramsbottom, SUEZ Recycling & Recovery, WEC Group, Crown Paints, Brookhouse Aerospace, Kay Group, Vampire Vape, Darwen Bars and Leisure, S.T. Murphy and Liberty Flights.