Published Friday 20 March 2026 at 12:11
More than £270,000 is set to be awarded to support vital local projects in the first round of the Darwen Community Fund, with the successful applicants now being revealed.
This pilot is part of the Government’s £20m Pride in Place programme, with the Darwen Town Board committing £250,000 of what’s known as capacity funding for this new scheme and important ‘quick wins’ to support the town.
In this first wave, 12 projects are set to directly benefit – including new investment for Derwent Hall, Darwen Heritage Centre, Sunbird Records, the brand-new Youth Zone, Darwen Cricket Club and more.
For one successful applicant, Two Gates Bowling Green and Social Club, the £20,000 it will receieve is a lifeline for urgent repairs needed to keep the venue open.
Alongside the beautiful bowling green there and a sports room and bar, it’s a vital community hub run by a team of dedicated volunteers, offering live music every week, bingo and free family events as well as hosting weddings, birthdays and special celebrations.
The Chair of the bowling club, John Bentley said:
For almost 130 years, the bowling club has been at the very heart of the community and proudly so.
It’s run by hardworking volunteers who all pitch in, including helping with the upkeep, but, sadly, we were facing closure due to issues with our floor which needed specialist repairs.
This new funding means we can carry out the work and continue to open our doors, hopefully for many more generations to come – we are all absolutely over the moon and can’t wait to get started.
In total, the board received more than 60 bids with a combined ask of more than £1.3m.
The other successful bids, judged against what Darwen’s residents and businesses said is important to them as part of extensive consultation, include:
- Derwent Hall – funding to redecorate the building, enabling more clubs and groups to use the space, with income supporting daily low-cost meals and activities for the over-55 community
- Darwen Cricket Club – providing year-round opportunities for local schools, young people, and the wider community, including walking cricket for older residents, at the impressive new indoor centre – only the second of its kind in the whole of the UK
- Sunbird Records – this funding will help strengthen the programme at this grassroots music venue as it approaches its 10th anniversary, helping grow audiences and bring wider benefits to the town’s music scene and nightlife
- Darwen Heritage Centre – to help make the building and exhibitions more accessible, including for wheelchair users and families with prams, helping more of the community enjoy Lancashire’s newest museum
- Darwen Youth Zone – alongside the launch of its state-of-the-art new building this spring, this cash will extend the hugely successful StreetZone bus to five days, positively engaging youngsters in the community with activities including sports, gaming, creative arts, cooking, informal education, and wellbeing support
- Junction4 Skatepark – transformed through Town Deal funding into one of the best skateparks in the UK, this new investment will support a Darwen Urban Culture Programme, bringing free, inclusive events celebrating sport, music, arts and urban culture to the community
- Hoddlesden Millennium Green – new funding to introduce a Forest School and community activities at this much-loved green space, home to woodland walks, a moorland stream and a community orchard, all cared for by passionate and dedicated volunteers
- The Parochial Church Council of St James Over Darwen – run entirely by volunteers, the church delivers vital community support including a food club, daily activities, a holiday programme and help for asylum seekers and refugees. This funding will help towards emergency building works as part of exciting plans to create a new community hub
- The Making Rooms – based in the new Maker Zone at Darwen Youth Zone, this pilot will give young people hands-on, industry-relevant learning experiences. It aims to equip those not in education, employment or training, or at risk of being so, with the creative, technical and life skills to thrive in a rapidly changing world
- Launchpad – a partnership between Blackburn College, Newground Together and Darwen Youth Zone to help young people re-engage with education, raise their aspirations and move into employment. The programme has already proven hugely successful in Blackburn
- Newrad Fisheries – funding will improve the angling club’s lodges, making them more accessible for wheelchair users and tackling invasive weeds that affect the water
The Pride in Place Programme – alongside the Darwen Town Deal – is being overseen by a new Darwen Town Board, chaired by Tracey Alcock, Managing Director of Herbert Parkinson – part of the John Lewis Partnership and a major local employer.
Welcoming the news, Tracey said:
We have been absolutely blown away by the response to this Darwen Community Fund pilot.
While our long-term plans are with Government for review, we wanted to get going and launch this new fund to help start making a difference to our town and our community.
This initial list of 12 projects shows what incredible work is already underway in the town – a town with fantastic community spirit – and this funding can help build on that and ensure even more people and groups can benefit.
She added:
Of course, it was an incredibly tough ask to narrow it down to just these projects but we focussed on what residents, businesses and community groups told us was important to them as part of the extensive consultation that’s been undertaken.
This is just a pilot too. We’re looking forward to building on this when we get the nod from Government on the funding for the next four years.
I’d like to congratulate all the successful applicants and thank those who submitted a bid – what incredible things we have happening in Darwen and so many led be dedicated volunteers too.
The £250,000 capacity funding is usually used by councils to help cover the costs, including staffing, to deliver Government funding.
As with the Darwen Town Deal, this money was pledged by the Council to the community and has been topped up by a further £20,000.
Leader of the Council and Vice Chair of the Darwen Town Board, Councillor Phil Riley, added:
What a tremendous response we’ve had to the new Darwen Community Fund and we’re really proud to be able to announce the successful bids today and an extra £20,000 of funding.
It really is heartwarming to read all about the fantastic work that is already being done across the town and the difference this new funding can help make.
While it was a tough job whittling the bids down, we’ve worked hard to make sure there’s a bit of something for everyone – young, old, community groups, sport music and events – all linking back to what residents has told us is important to them.
Like Tracey has said, this is just the start too. We’re really looking forward to seeing the difference that this funding can make while we work on the bigger projects for the town, with so much to come.
The pilot, launched in December, offered bids up to £30,000 each, with a full launch of the Darwen Community Fund expected this year.
It was open to all community groups in the town as well as businesses that support the community, with the Darwen Town Board reviewing the applications.
It builds on the previous quick wins delivered under the Darwen Town Deal – including supporting the restoration of the beloved Jubilee Tower and the transformation of Junction4 Skatepark into an Olympic-standard facility.
Andy MacNae, MP for Rossendale and Darwen, said:
This is a great start to our Pride in Place programme – congratulations to all the successful projects and thanks to Blackburn with Darwen Council for the extra support.
We lobbied hard to get the £20m Pride in Place fund for Darwen and now we need to make sure we maximize the impact throughout the town.
I am really looking forward to working with the board to make sure we deliver the projects Darwen needs.
Darwen was one of the first 75 towns selected for funding under this programme, previously known as the Long-Term Plan for Towns and then the Plan for Neighbourhoods initiative.
Although the £20m Pride in Place funding was announced around 18 months ago, the full programme will only officially start this year once the Government has reviewed all of the detailed investment plans.
Extensive consultation was carried out to shape the plans with key priorities shared by residents, businesses and community organisations, including:
- Improving the town centre and supporting local businesses
- Creating a safe, welcoming town centre
- Providing positive activities for young people
- Enhancing parks and green spaces
- Showcasing Darwen through music, arts and culture
- Supporting charities and community groups
- Helping manufacturing businesses stay competitive
- Removing barriers to skills training and access to jobs
Look out for updates on the Darwen Community Fund, the Darwen Town Deal and Pride in Place on the Council’s Shuttle website – www.theshuttle.org.uk – and Facebook and Instagram.