COUNCIL bosses are to hold workshops to teach people how to organise a party to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Last year just two official street parties were held in the Blackburn with Darwen area, compared to 25 in neighbouring Hyndburn, to mark the royal wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The party classes are being held in a bid to encourage more communities to organise a royal knees-up and will advise on road closures and various rules and regulations, ahead of jubilee celebrations on the weekend of June 2.

The free workshops, to run throughout April, will also teach people how to market their event, how to encourage businesses to support them and offer help on how to deal with formalities such as road closures.

Coun Damian Talbot said he hoped the workshops would mean people would feel more supported and inspired to hold a street party.

He said: “With the current economic situation, the council doesn’t have buckets of money but we still want to help people hold their own parties.”

There were 26 street parties last year to celebrate the royal wedding and Coun Talbot said the council wanted to help people create a memorable diamond jubilee party but on a bigger scale.

He said: “This is a great chance for people who maybe don't know their neighbours to get to know them, and to work alongside one another as a community.”

John Williams, chairman of the Royal Society of St George, said he was looking forward to a summer of diamond jubilee celebrations.

He said: “This will help to bring the whole community together and make it quite an event.”

The party planning workshops will be held on April 16, 17, 18 and 19 at venues across Blackburn and Darwen.

For more information, contact workshop organiser Judith Harrison on Judith.Harrison @blackburn.gov.uk or 01254 222128.