BYZThe official newsletter of YouthNEWS Zone March 2019 | Edition 1 WELCOME BYZ has seen some amazing developments over the past few months as we have strenghthened our position as the hub for the community at the of the town. Collaborations with organisations such as One Voice, Scouts, Girl Guides and local sports clubs have helped to increase our reach and number of young people benefiting from our offer and world class facility. This year has seen over 29,000 young people benefiting from our offer to date in projects and activities designed to increase integration, health and wellbeing and raise skills and aspirations. Projects delivered include STEM with BAE and UCLan, Commando Joes KS1, KS2 and KS3 Character education programme, Young Leaders group, science projects and we have intro- duced our Digital Design programme including coding, animation, digital art, robotics, fashion and gaming. - Raz Mohammed, Interim CEO Blackburn Youth Zone

YOUNG PEOPLE MAKE Difference! #iwill A DIFFERENCE IN Junior Club opening times THEIR COMMUNITY (8-11 years): Wednesday 3:30pm - 7pm January saw the start of our MAD (Make A Difference) group Friday 3:30pm - 8:30pm in Juniors and Diversity. Young Saturday 2:30pm - 5:30pm people are leading a social action project to help create a better Blackburn. They will be litter 5 STAR picking, community gardening and learning about how they REVIEW can benefit the local area. This “Thanks everyone at will empower the young people Blackburn Youth Zone to improve their environment for making the holidays so much fun for my son and help them to grow in & his friend. They’ve confidence, promote cohesion had the best time ever!” and encourage them to Make A

] VOLUNTEER of commitment.” SUPERSTAR BETH Blackburn Youth Zone is supported by over 40 volunteers Beth has volunteered at who help throughout the Blackburn Youth Zone over a two organisation. year period and said it has been the best time of her life! You can volunteer and support young people in so many ways Rose Morgan, Volunteer and at Blackburn Youth Zone. For Mentoring Coordinator at more information about the Blackburn Youth Zone said: opportunities please contact “Volunteering at Youth Zone “We wouldn’t be able to keep [email protected] or is the best thing ever, I get the our doors open to thousands call 01254 292000. chance to support so many of young people without the young people through sports ” support from our amazing Beth, Volunteer at Blackburn volunteers. Beth has given a lot Youth Zone of time to Blackburn Youth Zone which shows her incredible level

GOT GREAT NEWS FOR THE NEXT NEWSLETTER? EMAIL [email protected] BYZ BUS PICK UPS Shadsworth Junior School, If you are interested in finding Longshaw Junior School, Griffin our more about after school or Blackburn Youth Zone runs a Primary, Meadowhead youth pick ups, please contact pick up service five days a week! Youth pick up: Co-op, Emma at emma.floyd@ Wednesday after school pick up: Darwen Vale School, Ewood blackburnyz.org. Feniscowles Junior School, St McDonalds Pauls RC Primary Friday after school pick up:

Blackburn with Darwen! Toy Appeal generating hundreds of toy donations • BYZ are setting up a steering for BYZ members and their group for parents to have families during Christmas. a voice on all things Youth Zone - want to join? Contact • You raised £2,507 for BYZ Laura Walker on laura. Christmas Jumper Appeal [email protected] - with Westholme School raising £160. • Blackburn Youth Zone is WORKING TOGETHER launching its own Scout, Brownies & Guides groups in • BYZ recently welcomed One February. Voice WEGS group who have Book on BYZ started attending Girl’s Group • BYZ hosted a session with on a Sunday. They have been UCLAN for young people Holiday Club every enjoying activities such as who are considering a career half term for £10 in medicine. Dancerise and have settled Blackburn Youth Zone runs a in really well. A positive move • 24 Laundromat teamed up holiday club every half term in supporting integration in with 2BR for their Christmas for 8 - 11 years.This half term has been a fun-filled STEM & INVESTING IN YOUNG a runway for their planes, Construction themed Holiday developing further engineering PEOPLE Club. Holiday Club is just £10 knowledge and skills. Young a day or £40 for the week A group of Blackburn Youth Zone people are extremely grateful for with breakfast, lunch and members started their second the opportunity to participate. snacks provided. course at BAE this month working towards their Silver STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Manthematics) award. Last time the young peoople designed and built an aeroplane using the state of the art facilities at BAE’s ASK Academy. This time they will design and build

GOT GREAT NEWS FOR THE NEXT NEWSLETTER? EMAIL [email protected] Blackburn Youth Zone and further afield with the aim of young people visit the People’s awarded National Lottery inspiring them to follow their own History Museum in Manchester dreams and ambitions. and the Houses of Parliament in RAISED support London. They will look at how women Blackburn Youth Zone has have played key roles in events The girls will deliver various received a National Lottery throughout history such as exhibitions throughout the project Heritage Fund grant of £29,200 the Suffragette movement, both at Blackburn Youth Zone and for a 12-month project exploring establishment of the Blackburn Museum, which will be Blackburn’s rich history of Women’s Centre and women in open to the general public. influential women. Made possible Parliament, including Blackburns by money raised by National own Barbara Castle who was Lottery players, the Strong Sisters until recently, the longest-serving project will engage members of female MP between 1945 and Blackburn Youth Zone’s Girls 1979. Group in researching the strong and rich heritage of women The project, which will run from Blackburn with Darwen throughout 2019, will see also see

The F Factor: understanding of the type of ideas that the F Factor would looking to find the like to see submitted to the entrepreneurs of the competition, and how to bring these ideas to life. future workshop The F Factor gives young people Founders of the Future is coming a chance to win £10,000 equity- to Blackburn Youth Zone to free cash and to pitch in front run a workshop for budding of the most successful tech entrepreneurs aged between 14 entrepreneurs in Europe, during 5 STAR REVIEW to 25! At the end of the workshop Founders Forum. the young people will have all “I had no friends the information they will need to To register for the event before coming to enter The F Factor – an exciting please follow the link: https:// Blackburn Youth start-up competition for pupils www.blackburnyz.org/the- Zone, I feel safe here” and young adults, now in its fifth f-factor-looking-to-find-the- - Young person Age year. entrepreneurs-of-the-future- 14 workshop/ The workshop will give you an

] How can you support Key dates: Clay Shoot Blackburn Youth 28th February: Napthens Wine & 14th November: BYZ Quiz Cheese Evening at QEGS Quest - The fun quiz night will take place at Dunkenhalgh Zone? 3rd, 4th, 5th May: Blackburn Hotel. To enter a team of 4 Did you know Blackburn Youth Beer Festival in aid of Youth for £100, please email Amy@ Zone needs to raise £1.2 million Zone: at Blackburn Rugby Club a year to make a difference to cumminsmellor.co.uk 19th June: Trevor Dawson Golf thousands of young people 6th December : Christmas Day at Clitheroe Golf Club. To across the borough? Jumper Day enter a team contact: caroline@ We have key dates coming up tdawson.co.uk. If you need more information where you can attend and help on how you can get 17th August: Blackburn Youth support Blackburn Youth Zone involved please contact Zone Skydive by fundraising melanie.thomas@blackburnyz. 7th September: Tough Mudder org 15th October: Napthens Charity RAISED

Patrons Spotlight Due to their support, BYZ has bought into the idea of the total now delievered 3 ‘Get a Job’ integration of our community in Cummins Mellor have been programmes to young people Blackburn. This starts with the supporters of Blackburn Youth aged 16 - 25: 33% of these children and where better than Zone since it opened in 2012. young people have moved on to the Youth Zone. I wish there Cummins Mellor fundraises every gain employment and 50% have had been a Youth Zone when I year to support Blackburn Youth progressed in to further studies. was a boy” - Richard Mellor, Cummins Mellor Recruitment Zones ‘Get a Job’ programme. “Michelle and I are completely

at Blackburn Youth Zone. allows the youth members to Staff from HSBC, Plenary, create, project manage and Pendle Consulting and Organic present is a fantastic way Insurance have been mentoring of learning such skills and I young people on developing was delighted, and slightly their own fantastic ideas in to a honoured, to help support such business plan. a project.” To register for the event please follow the link: Duncan Bennett Director of https://www.blackburnyz.org/ Organic Insurance said: young-people-prepare-for- “I wanted to get involved youth-zone-entrepreneur-event/ Young People Prepare because through years of for Youth Zone experience being able to Entrepreneur Event present, whether to an audience or to someone you have just Young people are preparing for TEAM BUILDING? met is a fundamental skill the Soup on the Go ’Dragons everyone should have but not We have a range of facilities Den’ style event on the 27th specifically taught in schools. for hire including; sports hall February, 7:15pm - 8:30pm Being involved in a project that with climbing wall, music room, dance studio, air conditioned gym and a 5 a-side kick pitch. MOVING FORWARD Contact Mubashar.khaliq@ blackburnyz.org - A message from our interim CEO We aim to finish this financial year strongly, continuing to increase attendances and partnerships and are planning ahead as to how we continue to grow our offer. In the next financial year we shall see pick ups from more areas across the borough, increase outreach and our presence in local communities as this is key to unlocking and increasing further parental and community support. We also aim to ensure young people are at the heart of local and regional strategies such as the BwD Integration Strategy. With support from our Patrons and Supporters we will continue to make a difference to the lives of thousands of young people and continue to nurture a virtuous circle to build a prosperous Blackburn with Darwen keeping young people at the heart of what we do. Once again, thank you for your support.

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For more information about any of our sessions, call us on 01254 292000 or visit www.blackburnyz.org