Lancashire youth centre awarded £140k refurbishment grant

A children’s centre in Blackburn has secured investment from the government to help renovate its youth service cover.

Wensley Fold Children’s Centre has been awarded a Youth Investment Fund refurbishment grant of £140 thousand in order to improve its facilities.

This is welcome news for the Council’s Young Peoples Services (YPS) team and means that they will be able to support another 250 young people per week when the project is complete.

Julie Gunn, Executive Member of Children’s Services and Education said: “The council, its partners and our young people have worked tirelessly to ensure we achieved our aims around YIF Funding.”

“Alongside our other Youth Investment funded projects in Darwen and Audley & Queens Park – the renovation at Wensley Fold offers brand new and improved opportunities for our local YP and further supports our Start for Life commitment to bring services for families together in neighbourhoods and buildings. 

“It’s another exciting development for our local young people. Well done to all concerned and I can’t wait to see young people enjoying the opportunities these developments will present!”

With the money, the two-floor centre plans to include new spaces including youth rooms, a game cave, music studios and areas to learn bushcraft type skills.

New clubs and services will also be put on by the centre as it aims to support more vulnerable young people across Wensley Fold and neighbouring wards.

Young people supported by YPS and local youth partners played a key role in the application, taking part in consultation events and explaning what activities they would like to access.

Deputy Youth MP for Blackburn with Darwen, Zainab Shah said: “The youth forum continuously attended all the YIF consultations, and each application was based on thoughts and ideas gathered by young people across the borough. 

“Wensley Fold is an area where there isn’t a local youth centre and as someone who goes to school near Wensley fold – it will be very much appreciated by the young people that live in and around that area of Blackburn.”

The funding comes after more than £8m was secured through the Government’s Youth Investment Fund for four projects  (Audley & Queen’s Park Children’s Centre, Darwen Youth Centre, Blackburn & Darwen Youth Zone, Shadsworth Hub), across Blackburn with Darwen last year.

The Council’s Young Peoples Services Team is one of 140 youth projects in England to benefit from a Youth Investment Fund grant from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Work is set to start on the site as early as February 2024 and the renovated service is expected to open its doors to young people by May 2024.