Council launches bid for ‘army of volunteers’ to boost borough

The leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council has unveiled plans to build an army of volunteers at a special event.

Councillor Mohammed Khan told the invited audience at King George’s Hall he wanted their help him build up a volunteering army as part of the Your Call campaign.

Your Call has been a hugely successful programme with more than 20,000 people taking part in activities to make the borough a better place.

Councillor Khan told guests one of ways to overcome the challenges the borough faces is for everyone to work together and form a stronger community.

He also highlighted plans to support volunteers and pledged that the Council will always help those with good ideas to improve Blackburn with Darwen.

Businesses are also getting more involved in their communities, such as the work McDonald’s and Graham and Brown do in their communities, especially with litter picks and clean-ups.

Harry Catherall, chief executive of the Council, also spoke to the volunteers as well as Ian Brown, from Graham and Brown, Ivy Street community stalwart Christine Connell and One Voice’s Zaffer Khan.

Councillor Khan said:

I am a passionate believer that many problems within the community can be solved by members of the community.

We need to maintain the momentum we have built up in the last four years.

I believe it is the Council’s and council members’ role to help support them; to foster that can-do attitude.”