New chapter for Darwen’s historic library and theatre revealed
Published on Monday 31 March 2025 at 2:42 pm
A new planning application has been submitted setting out plans for major new investment in Darwen’s Library and Library Theatre.
Sport, culture & leisure
Work starts on multi-million-pound transformation of Darwen Youth Centre
Published on Friday 28 March 2025 at 10:53 am
Work to demolish the existing Darwen Youth Centre building to pave the way for a multi-million-pound transformation is set to get underway.
Work set to start on major upgrades to paths through Darwen’s Sunnyhurst Woods
Published on Thursday 27 March 2025 at 5:42 pm
The main path through Darwen’s Sunnyhurst Woods is set to benefit from hundreds of thousands of pounds of new investment as part of the £100m Darwen Town Deal.
Darwen’s ‘Wheel of fortune!
Published on Thursday 27 March 2025 at 11:59 am
When this giant wheel appeared in Darwen Market Square in February, it had us all in a spin!
Filed under: Darwen | Darwen Town Centre | wheel
BWD Librarian shortlisted for a Libraries Connected Award
Published on Tuesday 25 March 2025 at 2:05 pm
Blackburn with Darwen’s Community History Librarian Mary Painter has been shortlisted for a prestigious Libraries Connected Award!
Filed under: Blackburn Central library | Libraries | library | staff
A Loom of History
Published on Friday 14 March 2025 at 3:25 pm
With his 90th birthday just around the corner, Richard Croasdale is Blackburn Museum’s oldest and longest-serving volunteer – and he’s absolutely brilliant!
Filed under: Blackburn Museum | Richard Croasdale
New plans for Darwen Market Hall revealed
Published on Friday 14 March 2025 at 2:07 pm
A new planning application has been submitted detailing plans to transform Darwen Market Hall as part of the £100m Town Deal.
King George’s Hall £9m refurb takes a step forward
Published on Thursday 13 March 2025 at 3:43 pm
A new planning application has been submitted for the final phase of the £9 million refurbishment of Blackburn’s King George’s Hall.
Filed under: KGH | King George's Hall
Rover the Moon! Proudly celebrating 150 years of Blackburn Rovers Football Club
Published on Thursday 13 March 2025 at 9:00 am
As this edition of The Shuttle goes to print, Blackburn Rovers are sixth in the Championship – dare we say, the play-offs are in sight…
And while there’s excitement on the pitch, there’s lots to celebrate off it too.
Filed under: Blackburn Rovers | jack walker | Shuttle | The Shuttle
Sign up to ‘Ride Anywhere’ now and you could WIN £1,000!
Published on Wednesday 12 March 2025 at 12:00 pm
Calling all Blackburn with Darwen cyclists! Sign up now to take part in Love to Ride’s ‘Ride Anywhere Week’ and you could be in with the chance of winning £1,000!
Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery receives even bigger boost!
Published on Wednesday 5 March 2025 at 9:50 am
Blackburn Museum was one of the first purpose built free museums to open outside of London, in 1874.
Filed under: Art Gallery | Arts Council England | Blackburn | Blackburn Museum | Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery | Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery | British Library | council | Councillor | Councillor Quesir Mahmood | Culture | funding | Gallery | Hart Gallery | museum
Blackburn Sports and Leisure Centre celebrates 10 years!
Published on Tuesday 4 March 2025 at 1:53 pm
Following its opening on Friday 20 March 2015, Blackburn Sports and Leisure Centre is celebrating its 10th anniversary in style this weekend.
Filed under: 10th Anniversary | Blackburn | Blackburn Leisure Centre | BwD Leisure | celebration | leisure | Leisure centre | Members | Rebecca Adlington | Sports | Ten years
Brand-new digital Repair Space launched in Blackburn to help make e-waste a thing of the past!
Published on Wednesday 22 January 2025 at 11:31 am
A brand-new Repair Space has just launched at The Making Rooms in Blackburn, aiming to tackle e-waste and promote digital inclusion.
First-ever MEGA Scholarships launched in Blackburn with Darwen
Published on Friday 17 January 2025 at 11:42 am
Students in Blackburn with Darwen are set to be the first in the whole country to benefit from a pioneering new scholarship scheme in cyber and e-sports.
Plans revealed to ‘make’ Blackburn’s Making Rooms even bigger and better with £1.5m extension
Published on Monday 13 January 2025 at 12:06 pm
Plans that could transform Blackburn’s already super successful Making Rooms into the leading makerspace in the whole of the UK have been revealed.
Discover Christmas nights out in Blackburn… here’s your handy guide!
Published on Friday 20 December 2024 at 12:12 pm
With a cool pop-up festive tavern, a winter wonderland tipi, a whole host of free live music, top places to eat and drink and so much more, here’s why Blackburn should be at the top of your Christmas list this year…Are you an artist? Check this out!
Published on Wednesday 18 December 2024 at 9:02 am
Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery is excited to announce its annual Art Open exhibition for 2025.
Filed under: Art Gallery | Art Open | Art Open Exhibition | Artists | Blackburn | Blackburn Museum | Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery | Darwen | exhibition | museum
Step into Christmas at Blackburn’s brand-new pop-up festive tavern!
Published on Friday 6 December 2024 at 3:56 pm
How about this for a fabulous Christmas surprise… Blackburn is set to get its own pop-up festive tavern, and it opens next week!
Blackburn’s Christmas line-up is hotting up with the return of The Firepit’s festive tipi!
Published on Thursday 5 December 2024 at 4:55 pm
The countdown to Christmas is well and truly on in Blackburn with the arrival of The Firepit’s festive tipi!
Blackburn Futures in Film cohort get in on the ‘action’ filming new BBC Wolf Hall drama
Published on Tuesday 26 November 2024 at 10:17 am
How about this for work experience! Impressively, a cohort of trainees from the Blackburn-based ‘Futures in Film Academy’ were invited to join the production team behind the brand-new and critically acclaimed, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light.
Storm Bert: Changes to Blackburn Christmas lights switch-on event
Published on Friday 22 November 2024 at 4:27 pm
The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for much of the country throughout the day tomorrow with Storm Bert expected to bring high-speed winds of up to 60mph plus rain and the chance of snow.
Darwen dazzles once again with record-breaking Christmas lights switch-on!
Published on Monday 18 November 2024 at 11:58 am
Records were once again broken at Darwen’s Christmas lights switch-on with thousands of people turning out for the hugely popular event.
Blackburn’s Christmas is set to be ‘out of this world’ with £70K of new funding!
Published on Wednesday 13 November 2024 at 12:26 pm
More than £70,000 of extra funding is set to help make Blackburn’s Christmas ‘out of this world’ with a brand new ‘Festival of the Moon’ running throughout November and December.
‘Out of this world’ Christmas light switch-on announced for Blackburn!
Published on Tuesday 5 November 2024 at 5:17 pm
Blackburn’s much-anticipated Christmas lights switch-on event is set to take place on Saturday, November 23rd and we have the full line-up for you!
Reading Dorothy Whipple: A Blackburn Literary Landmark A Being Human Festival Event
Published on Monday 4 November 2024 at 1:37 pm
Blackburn born author Dorothy Whipple (1893 – 1966) was described in her lifetime as the “Jane Austen of the 20th Century” by no less a figure than J.B.
Filed under: author | Blackburn Library | events
‘Cracker’ of a line-up revealed for Darwen Christmas lights switch on
Published on Friday 1 November 2024 at 3:35 pm
The full line-up for Darwen’s Christmas lights switch-on event has just been revealed and it’s a Christmas cracker with more than 10 hours of festive fun!
Blackburn’s nightlife set for boost with 124 live town centre gigs
Published on Wednesday 30 October 2024 at 10:54 am
A packed programme of brand-new live gigs has just been announced to help boost Blackburn’s nightlife.
‘Mystery’ headliner revealed for Darwen Christmas lights switch-on
Published on Friday 11 October 2024 at 5:02 pm
The ‘mystery’ headliner for Darwen’s super-popular Christmas lights switch on has just been revealed as 90s electro dance group, K-Klass.
Generous donation breathes new life into Darwen’s St John Ambulance Station
Published on Friday 4 October 2024 at 1:59 pm
St John Ambulance is set to return to Darwen after the charity’s base was bought by a generous donor and gifted to them to use for free.
Blackburn volunteer group’s green fingers recognised!
Published on Thursday 3 October 2024 at 11:25 am
Witton Country Park Green Gym has recently been awarded Highly Commended in the Making a Difference Awards, run by BBC Radio Lancashire.
Filed under: Blackburn | Green Gym | GreenGym | Make a difference awards | volunteer | Witton Park
Come along to the community open day!
Published on Thursday 26 September 2024 at 10:46 am
Masjide Noorul Islam, located on Audley Range is opening its doors and extending a warm invite to the local and wider community to deepen their understanding of Islam and visit their mosque.
Big tick for multi-million-pound new Skills and Cyber Campus in Blackburn
Published on Friday 20 September 2024 at 1:44 pm
Ambitious plans have been passed for a Skills and Cyber Campus of national significance in Blackburn.
New Growth initiative will establish film and TV production hub in Blackburn
Published on Wednesday 4 September 2024 at 1:00 pm
In an ambitious move to bolster the film and television production landscape in Lancashire, the University of Central Lancashire has announced a strategic partnership with local industry stakeholders to establish a vibrant screen production hub in Blackburn with Darwen.
£1.5m will provide the ‘wow’ factor for The Exchange
Published on Thursday 22 August 2024 at 4:33 pm
The Exchange has announced the next phase of its regeneration journey thanks to a £1.5m grant from Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council – part of £20 million of new Government funding secured for the borough to support town centre priorities.
Wensley Fold Children’s Centre transformed for young people
Published on Tuesday 13 August 2024 at 4:08 pm
Renovations are now complete for a Young Peoples Youth Hub at Wensley Fold Children’s Centre.
A Youth Investment Fund refurbishment grant of £142 thousand was awarded to Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Young Peoples Services to renovate the building and enhance the local youth service offer.
Filed under: Children and Young People | YIF | YIF funding | youth
Discover the new Alice’s Adventures in Brickburn Lego Trail!
Published on Thursday 8 August 2024 at 4:52 pm
Get ready for an unforgettable adventure this summer as the enchanting and magical world of Alice in Wonderland and LEGO® comes to Blackburn town centre!
Darwen parks show off new playgrounds
Published on Tuesday 30 July 2024 at 3:27 pm
The children’s playgrounds in Bold Venture Park and Whitehall Park have received huge investment of £100,000 each.
Filed under: Bold Venture Park | Darwen | Park | playground | Whitehall Park
What a Math-lete! Finance Assistant wins GOLD at National U23s Athletics Championships
Published on Wednesday 24 July 2024 at 3:10 pm
Matthew Ramsden brought GOLD back to Blackburn after winning the 5000m at the National U23s Athletics Championships.
Shop Darwen Tower Trail
Published on Wednesday 24 July 2024 at 2:32 pm
Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Shop Darwen scheme, have launched a new campaign which is all about celebrating our independent retailers, supporting our local economy, having family time out of the house this summer and getting creative!
Filed under: Darwen | family fun
Family fun this summer!
Published on Friday 19 July 2024 at 10:49 am
On the hunt for something fun to do during the summer holidays? Take a look at the fabulous what’s on guide for Blackburn and Darwen.
Filed under: activities | Free activities | summer | summer holidays
Residents invited to have their say on major new housing development proposed for Blackburn
Published on Friday 12 July 2024 at 11:55 am
Residents are being asked to have their say on two potential options for a proposed development of a major housing site in North East Blackburn.
‘Spezial’ Darwen street name revealed – the Gary Aspden Way!
Published on Wednesday 10 July 2024 at 11:19 am
A stretch of road in Darwen has been re-named Gary Aspden Way to celebrate the incredible contributions that the adidas designer and Spezial curator has made to the borough he’s so proud to call home.
Britain’s Got Talent finalist Steve Royle to headline Darwen Festival of Fun
Published on Wednesday 10 July 2024 at 10:00 am
The Darwen Festival of Fun, now in its fourth year, returns to Darwen on Saturday, July 27th.
‘Stroke of luck’ for art lovers as award-winning National Festival of Making returns to Blackburn!
Published on Wednesday 3 July 2024 at 5:18 pm
Nationally renowned artists are set to unveil their specially commissioned works at the Festival of Making this weekend and you can see them all for free!
Patrick Grant and Esme Young set to create a ‘buzz’ at the National Festival of Making!
Published on Monday 1 July 2024 at 12:06 pm
Are you heading to the National Festival of Making this weekend?
We know that Patrick Grant and Esme Young – judges of the hugely popular BBC 2 series ‘The Great British Sewing Bee’ – are!
Plans for new Skills and Cyber Campus in Blackburn revealed
Published on Friday 28 June 2024 at 1:24 pm
New plans have been revealed for a Skills and Cyber Campus of national significance in Blackburn.
Enjoy food, glorious food at the award-winning National Festival of Making in Blackburn!
Published on Thursday 27 June 2024 at 12:12 pm
With so much to see and do at the National Festival of Making, you’re sure to work up an appetite.
New live gigs sure to be a ‘hit’ at the National Festival of Making!
Published on Wednesday 26 June 2024 at 4:20 pm
If you’re looking for something good to do over the weekend of July and 6th and 7th, this will be music to your ears!
Get ready for blast off – our guide to family fun at the National Festival of Making!
Published on Tuesday 25 June 2024 at 10:52 am
Looking for fun for all the family? Look no further than the National Festival of Making!
Make your plans – Blackburn’s biggest event of the year is back and not to be missed!
Published on Monday 24 June 2024 at 10:08 am
There’s less than two weeks to go until the National Festival of Making returns and takes over Blackburn town centre.