Council and partners join forces on community coronavirus work

“We can’t risk another lockdown; we are all in this together.” That’s the main message from a programme of targeted communications and engagement activity with communities in Blackburn with Darwen on the borough’s response to coronavirus.

Blackburn with Darwen Council is working in partnership with seven prominent voluntary sector organisations to ensure that and other important key messaging on the recently announced new local measures to help control the spread of Coronavirus are directly targeted to local communities.

The Council has joined forced with Lancashire BME Network, Youth Action, IMO Charity, Lancashire Council of Mosques, Brookhouse Development Group, BwD Healthy Living and One Voice Blackburn on the work.

The groups will commence community outreach work giving out information packs for businesses/retailers and the public. The packs include free face coverings, laminated posters for businesses, information on the local help hub and leaflets with advice and guidance on the local measures.

Information will go out via mosques and madrassahs and the groups will set up a series of pop up stands in locations across the borough handing out leaflets, hand sanitizer and facemasks.

A range of posters have been produced and a social media campaign has been launched with messages specifically targeted on cutting down large gatherings, keeping two metres apart, not shaking hands at this time, wearing a face covering in enclosed public spaces, washing hands, getting tested as well as specific messages for businesses.

A series of videos have also been produced with prominent members of the local community appealing to others to follow the guidance.

Naz Zaman, Lancashire BME Network, said:

We’re happy to work with the Council in partnership on this vital work. Blackburn has a strong and resilient community spirit.  We can’t risk another lockdown. We all have a responsibility to act with caution and follow the government guidelines. We need to remember that Covid-19 has not vanished. It is still a threat to all of us, and it is our job to protect our families, friends and the wider community.

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

It is good to be able to reassure our residents that we are working with these prominent local organisations to help get the message out to everyone that life cannot go back to normal just yet and we must all make sacrifices to avoid a local lockdown.

We are doing everything we can to get a grip on the virus and we need everyone in Blackburn with Darwen to pull together to help us. That’s why working in partnership in this way is so important. We will get through this together.