Housing developer to donate £75,000 to Blackburn Youth Zone

Kingswood Homes has become the latest business to join the Youth Zone’s network of supporters, signing up to become a ‘gold patron’.

The partnership will see the business, based in Little Hoole, Preston, donate £25,000 per year over the three-year agreement.

Kingswood Home’s Managing Director Paul Jones and Blackburn Youth Zone founder Andrew Graham MBE.

Blackburn Youth Zone carries out its life-changing work in the Blackburn community thanks to the support of its network of business supporters.

Kingswood’s pledge to join the network takes the total up to 51 patrons.

The donation will go towards funding the Youth Zone’s core offer, which gives young people aged five to 21 access to a range of services.

Open seven days a week, the organisation offers up to 20 activities each evening focused on raising aspirations and offering important life skills.

Andrew Graham, Vice Chair of Blackburn Youth Zone, was delighted to have received support from Kingswood Homes, which has become the 11th gold patron in the network.

He said: “Without our patrons, Blackburn Youth Zone would just not be able to exist to offer the vital services our community needs.

“Our network brings together businesses to support our young people, which is particularly important as families are still feeling the effects of the pandemic and the rising cost of living.

“It is truly amazing that Kingswood Homes has stepped up to invest in the future of young people by backing the youth zone and we look forward to working with the business over the next three years.”

Paul Jones, managing director of Kingswood Homes, said: “At Kingswood Homes we’re proud of our Lancashire roots and want to ensure that children across the county have the best possible start in life.

"We have two sites in the Blackburn area – Green Hills in Feniscowles and Spinners Brook in Hoddlesden – making Blackburn Youth Zone an obvious choice for us to support.

“As patrons of such an inspiring charity we’re looking forward to playing our part in supporting young people.”

Blackburn Youth Zone, which is based in Jubilee Street, Blackburn, was named as one of the region’s most resilient organisations in 2021 after transforming its offering during the lockdowns, keeping members engaged through online activities, welfare calls and outreach schemes.

Among its activities, it provided 1,000 young people and their families with meal packages and recipes, delivered 25,000 free meals and self-care packages to homes in the area and supported 1,300 young people a month to take part in activities to support their health and wellbeing.

Staff carried out 4,353 welfare calls to the most vulnerable young people, 309 young people at risk of entering the care system received welfare calls and digital mentoring and 544 were offered employability skills.