Community Voices events invite residents to share their views

Residents across Blackburn with Darwen are being invited to speak out on key issues for the borough.

A series of Community Voices events are planned as part of the borough’s social integration programme, Our Community, Our Future.

Run by the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Peace Foundation in community venues across Blackburn with Darwen, the events give people a chance to talk about how well they feel people get on with each other where they live. Peace Foundation facilitators will also encourage discussion around neighbourhood pride, and people’s perceptions of race, religion and belonging in the borough.

Christine Cox, Communities Programme Leader at the Peace Foundation, said:

Everyone is welcome to come and share their stories and ideas. These dialogue events are a brilliant opportunity for open and honest debate. Our facilitators have plenty of experience running events of this type. We make sure that everyone can take part, so that they are interesting and worthwhile – and we’ll be sharing food and refreshments as well as views and suggestions.

A number of dates have been set for Community Voices events:

• Saturday 13 July, 3pm, Sacred Heart and St Edward’s Community Centre, 370 Blackburn Road, Darwen
• Tuesday 23 July, 4 pm, Bank Top Neighbourhood Learning Centre, Arthur Way, Blackburn
• Saturday 10 August, 11 am, Quaker Meeting House, Paradise Street, Blackburn
• Thursday 19 September, from 3pm in Care Network Hub, Blackburn
• Wednesday 25 September, from 6pm in St Oswald’s Community Hall, Knuzden
• Thursday 26 September, from 6pm in Witton Park City Learning Centre, Blackburn
• Wednesday 2 October, from 6pm in Darwen Heritage Centre, Darwen

Councillor Mohammed Khan, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, said:

The Voices events are an important part of our social integration work in Blackburn with Darwen. Through the debates we hope that we can break down any barriers between people from the borough’s diverse communities and help them to better understand one another.

I hope that people will take the opportunity to come along to the Peace Foundation’s events.

To register for a Community Voices event, click the event links above. Or to find out more, call the Peace Foundation on 01925 581231 or email info@peace-foundation.org.uk. The charity is also on Twitter and Facebook.

Further dates are being planned at venues across Blackburn and Darwen and will be advertised locally and on social media.

The Peace Foundation is also organising a series of Youth Voices events for young people aged 11 to 16 – dates will be announced soon.

The Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Peace Foundation is a charity that was founded in memory of the two boys who were tragically killed in the IRA’s bombing of Warrington in 1993. To find out more about the charity, visit www.peace-foundation.org.uk.