YOUNGBLOODS Christian Hughes and Nathan Gaskell were born at the start of the Coalfield Challenge regeneration scheme designed to boost the Leigh area.

So the two-year-olds were this week asked to carry out the official launch of Coalfield Challenge's Two-Year Progress Report by blowing out the birthday cake candles.

Coalfield Challenge is the area's version of Government Single Regeneration Budget scheme where grants have to be spent specifically on repairing the damage done to areas by the decline of local industry.

Wigan Council successfully bid for funds to regenerate Leigh, Golborne and Platt Bridge, hard-hit by the decline of the Lancashire Coalfield. A total of £11.7 million of Government money is available to spend up to the year 2002.

Youngsters Christian and Nathan were the perfect choice to perform Monday's birthday celebration.

As well as being the same age as Coalfield Challenge they also attend Leigh's Littlebodyz nursery which benefited from Coalfield Challenge support. The children also gather at premises managed by this year's winners of the Coalfield Challenge Best New Business Award, Goodbodies Fitness Emporium.

Samantha Carey of Littlebodyz said: "We are delighted that Christian and Nathan have been chosen to launch this two-year report. They have grown as much as Coalfield Challenge has in the past two years. Like Coalfield Challenge, they have already shown their potential for the future. Now we can see how they've progressed, and we have grown too, thanks to the programme."

Christine Lewis of Goodbodies added: "Coalfield Challenge helped turn our ideas into reality. We definitely recommend the programme to other people who need help getting their venture off the ground."

SINCE the Challenge programme was set up more than two years ago more than £3.5 million has been spent.

About £900,000 has gone in business grants leading to those business boosting the local economy by over £7m.

More than 140 new businesses have started, with over 97 per cent still running successfully. More than 1,300 jobs have been created and a further 2,000 under threat were repreived. More than 3,000 people have been given business training.

The thrust of the whole programme has been to enable and support each local community in its efforts to help itself. Projects such as the Higher Folds Community Shop and Platt Bridge Youth Enterprise and Training Centre are prime examples of local people using Coalfield Challenge to help get things moving.

Over 40 voluntary organisations have been given a total of almost £160,000 to assist their work.

The programme has also tackled the basic need in any community for a safe and pleasant environment in which to live and work and shop. Town centres have also been a target for support with almost half a million pounds spent on opportunities such as CCTV, pedestrianisation and shopfront improvements.

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