£1m scheme to convert Blackburn pub to advice centre (From Blackburn Citizen)

£1m scheme to convert Blackburn pub to advice centre

10:25am Monday 6th July 2009

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MORE than £1million has been secured to convert a derelict Blackburn town centre pub to a help and advice centre for youngsters.

Funding of £1,155,000 has been given for a major conversion of the Boulevard Pub, next to Blackburn station, to a one-stop centre for children and teenagers.

The new centre will become the home of a ground-breaking team set up last year to tackle the sexual exploitation of children, and will also provide emergency accommodation for homeless young people.

Other organisations to be based at the new centre include the police, NHS, sexual health experts the Brook Advisory Service, and Barnardos.

The grant has been provided after the Community and Volun-tary Service and Blackburn with Darwen Children’s Trust bid to the Department of Children, Families & Schools Government’s Co-location fund.

Police and councillors have expressed delight at the news, which will see the refurbished building open in September 2011.

The centre will become the new home of the borough’s award- winning Engage Team, set up last year to tackle the sexual exploit-ation of children and young people, as it has grown out of its current base in the Connexions building in Blackburn.

Sgt Mark Whelan, from the Engage team, said: “We are absolutely delighted by the news which will greatly benefit the area’s most vulnerable children and young people.”

Other bids are in the pipeline to Capacitybuilders, LEGI and others as part of an overall £2.4million redevelopment.

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