£3.1m transformation of Blackburn Youth Zone

The £3.1 million transformation of Blackburn Youth Zone, funded by the Youth Investment Fund, is complete with upgraded facilities and a new building ready to welcome thousands of young people in the town.

State of the art technology has been added to the existing improved and refurbished amenities available to the 5,000 five to 19-year-old members who benefit from learning new skills on a daily basis.

The completed works were unveiled on April 23 to many of the 74 patrons of the Youth Zone – Blackburn and East Lancashire businesses in the main – which together contribute 40% of the annual running costs. Guests were welcomed by the Youth Zone’s new chief executive, Leon Crosby, who will steer the charity into a new era – leading, inspiring and educating young people as they progress through life.

An impressive new facility known as Fusebox has been created out of one of Blackburn’s historic buildings on the Jubilee Street site expanding the Youth Zone’s original footprint. The new facilities will enable the dedicated team to increase their reach into the community and provide life-changing – and life-enhancing – opportunities to more young people.

Leon Crosby added;

“We can also now unveil Fusebox, the repurposing of Blackburn’s historic Gas Light Company headquarters built in 1818, which provided power and energy to the town for more than 125 years. We have respected and are preserving this heritage for future generations. Fusebox will serve as an inspiration designed to provide career pathways, skills training and opportunities for young people to improve themselves.”

Leon Crosby, aged 34 and from Bolton was himself inspired by the potential of youth clubs as an 11-year-old attending Bolton Lads and Girls Club, the UK’s first youth zone.

“From an early age I was met with a jungle of activity and opportunity and in many ways, 20-plus years on, I’m a by-product of youth work and all the magic it has to offer. My passion has always been ensuring that young people have a voice, equal opportunities and an environment that allows them to reach their full potential. While this concept is fundamentally essential for children and young people, it remains a societal challenge in the modern world. Our purpose is to restore and maintain these basic principles.”

A key offer is a new employment and skills hub in Fusebox to capitalise on the Youth Zone’s success with employability and ensuring youngsters are work-ready through strong links with businesses across the area. Economic downturns affect young people disproportionately in the workplace with 16–24-year-olds suffering unemployment significantly more than any other age demographic when times are tough. Alongside the employability hub will be opportunities to learn about new technology such as AI and virtual reality using equipment that is not available in schools or colleges in the area.

Leon Crosby is chief executive of two youth zones in Blackburn and in Darwen. The Darwen facility is about to undergo a similar £3 million transformation over the coming year eventually giving East Lancashire two of the UK’s best Youth Zones.

Leon Crosby added: “At Blackburn & Darwen Youth Zone, we work hard to provide young people with a safe and supportive environment, offering inspiring activities and a spark of ambition to thousands of young people whoever they are and whatever their background.”

Blackburn Youth Zone has 5,000 members, which represents 12% of the youth population who come from every ward in the town and youth workers are ready to welcome more now the capacity has increased.