Published Tuesday 25 August 2026 at 10:57
Blackburn College has just announced the expansion of its specialist Animal Care and Animal Management training to Witton Park in a move supported by Blackburn with Darwen Council.
Work by the council to transform the former Visitor Centre, once the stables and coach houses for the grand Witton House, has been ongoing throughout the summer in preparation for students moving to the site this September.
This marks an exciting new chapter for the college and a significant investment in skills, education and opportunity for learners across Blackburn with Darwen.
The works to upgrade the learning facilities will pave the way for the college to offer a range of animal education programmes, from Level 1 right through to Level 3, bringing the full offer back to the borough and reducing the need for students to travel elsewhere.
And there’s already huge demand for the courses, which equip students with valuable animal care and management skills and provide clear progression routes into the industry and roles as vets to zoology, dog grooming, mobile farms, working with charities and more.
Celebrating the news, Principal and Chief Executive of Blackburn College, Dr Fazal Dad CBE, said:
This project demonstrates what can be achieved through a strong, collaborative effort between the college and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council.
Our priority has always been to make animal education accessible to learners who have a genuine passion for the industry.
Thanks to this partnership, local students will not need to travel outside the area but will be supported right here in Blackburn, with clear pathways into further training and employment.
This new venture is an important milestone for Blackburn College as it continues to expand and strengthen its curriculum.
It also builds on the success of a large number of applications and the programme’s successful first cohort, which included everything from working with snakes to Shetland Ponies, goats, sheep, rabbits, rodents and alpacas.
And it’s part of the College’s commitment to delivering high-quality, career-focused education, supporting learners into employment and ensuring that key skills development and employment opportunities remain firmly rooted within Blackburn with Darwen.
The announcement comes quickly on the back of a strong set of results for Blackburn College last week too, including a 98% success rate in T Levels and a 96.5% success rate in Level 3 vocational courses.
Rachel Tarplee, Vice Principal for Curriculum and Quality, added:
This is an exciting expansion of Blackburn College’s curriculum with Animal Care and Animal Management being a vital area of interest for many learners, and we were determined not to lose these courses from the local area.
By expanding the provision further at Witton Park, we are future proofing opportunities for students and strengthening our role as a provider that responds to the community need.
Discussions around the future use of the council-owned Witton Park site began when Myerscough College decided to relocate its provision back to its main campus.
This new partnership between the college and the council brings the site back into educational use for the benefit of the borough.
Councillor Quesir Mahmood, Deputy Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council and Executive Member for Growth and Development, said:
We are absolutely delighted to have been able to support Blackburn College with the expansion of its animal education offer and in the unique setting of Witton Park.
This is yet another fantastic example of the positive impact that the council’s strong partnerships can have for residents across the borough – something we pride ourselves on.
Along with the college, we share a determination to ensure that our young people, and those who travel from across Lancashire to study here, are equipped with the skills, knowledge and opportunities they need to succeed, giving them the best possible start in life and their future careers.
Our teams have been working incredibly hard to upgrade the facility, and we’re looking forward to the college welcoming students to the site in September and continuing to work closely with the college.
You can apply for the Animal Care courses now at blackburn.ac.uk
A limited number of places are also available for adult learners.