CO-OP Expand

Blackburn with Darwen Healthy Living has been awarded a grant from Co-op charity, Co-op Foundation, to help us continue to support the local community through our ‘Expand’ project. It builds on ‘Explore’ work completed in Wensley Fold using a Space to Connect grant awarded to in 2019. The funding comes from the £1.6m Space to Connect partnership between the Co-op Foundation and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) to unlock the potential of community spaces where people can connect and co-operate.

Again, based in the Wensley Fold area of Blackburn, the ‘Expand’ project aims to establish social groups for young people and adults in the area. The groups will be led by local residents with training and support from Healthy Living, with the project having 3 phases. Firstly, recruiting volunteers, community consultation and volunteer training, to enable them to confidently and professionally take a leading role. Secondly, based on the consultation work, the volunteers will deliver 3 social sessions a week, including a dedicated youth session, and work with local partners to develop green spaces for communal use. Finally, the management and delivery of the groups will be transferred to the volunteers to enable the project to continue long after the initial start-up funding has finished.