About us

The Healthy Living Centre initiative was originally funded by the BIG Lottery Fund (formally known as the New Opportunities Fund) and was launched in 2002. the initiative was delivered in partnership by Blackburn with Darwen Primary Care Trust and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council. In July 2007, the project secured continuation funding from Blackburn with Darwen Primary Care Trusts and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council on a commission basis and also secured status as a charity and a company limited by guarantee. The project is directed by a Board of trustees and consist of members from Blackburn with Darwen Primary Care Trust, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, Age Concern, Groundwork, Brook.

Additionally, Blackburn with Darwen Healthy Living was awarded £250,000 from the Big Lottery Fund over five years to improve the health, well-being and lifestyles of hundreds of people in Blackburn with Darwen. The grant is part of a £7 million well-being programme supporting 27 Healthy Living Initiatives across the North West, between 2007 and 2012.

The continuation funding has enabled Blackburn with Darwen Healthy Living to work in some of the most deprived areas in Blackburn with Darwen with regard to health. The charity will increase provision of healthy eating initiatives and projects to improve local people’s awareness and knowledge of a healthy diet and nutrition which will address the increased rise in obesity. Additionally the charity will raise the awareness of opportunities for community members to increase their activity levels and encourage individuals to incorporate more activity in their daily lives and routines as the level of physical activity in Blackburn with Darwen is below the North West and England averages and is the third lowest in England.

Aims

The aim of the charity is to maintain and develop a creative partnership to tackle the health, social and economic inequalities experienced in Blackburn: to involve and enable the people living and working in these areas to design and implement their own solutions.

Objectives

To increase provision of healthy eating initiatives and projects to improve people’s awareness of a healthy diet and nutrition.
To raise the awareness of, and to provide opportunities for, community members to get involved in physical activities.
To raise the awareness of smoking related diseases and to promote smoking cessation services.
To increase awareness of sexual health and contraception amongst young people.
To increase awareness of the effects of drug and alcohol use.
To promote community involvement and leadership in the planning of services /projects to encourage community ownership.
To provide opportunities for people to get involved in local community regeneration schemes.
To develop a range of initiatives that will improve the quality of life, well being and life chances of the target client group.
To organise and participate in health promotion and health education activities to raise awareness of health issues.
To promote partnership working with community, voluntary and statutory agencies to ensure a co-ordinated approach to service delivery and efficient and effective use of resources.