Darwen Leisure Centre’s brand-new inflatable pool attraction has already made waves – with first sessions on Saturday 19 July selling out fast.
Something HUGE is making a splash at Darwen Leisure Centre – and you could be the first to try it out!
Exciting news is on the horizon for Blackburn Cathedral Gardens as construction begins on a brand-new Children’s Play area. This project aims to enrich the existing public gardens while providing
Excitement is in the air as Go Ape, the popular adventure course, announces the opening of its newest location in Witton Country Park, Blackburn.
Escape to Fun Island returns just in time for the half-term school holidays after proving a big hit last year.
A brand new venture opens for bookings at the end of February, with touches of luxury and glamour for the ultimate break.
Blackburn Life is back with our Big Christmas Giveaway Competition.
Changes to business hours and opening for a whole range of local shops, venues and leisure attractions in the area.
Darwen residents can expect a better park experience after maintenance work has been carried out in three of the neighbourhood parks.
From April 1st the Council is investing in a 12 month programme of free leisure sessions across the borough. This will start with the inclusion of a variety of activities including gym-based, swimming and cycling sessions.
Did you leave Billinge School in Blackburn in 1979?
This August, the National Festival of Making is bringing the Dodecalis Luminarium, created by Architects of Air, to Blackburn’s Corporation Park!
Masters of Martial Arts Academy in Blackburn town centre have been awarded a Sports England ‘Return To Play’ grant.
Here we are again with our BIG guide of all the opening times for Blackburn & Darwen – Shops, Supermarkets, Markets, Leisure & more for Christmas 2020 and New Year 2021.
Blackburn Market has announced the re-opening of pop-up craft & gift markets just in time for Christmas.
Blackburn with Darwen Council have confirmed that official football club training and matches can go ahead as part of the “organised team sport” exception to the new “rule of six”.
Blackburn and Darwen are at the forefront of a national fundraising campaign that has been launched by the Theatres Trust in partnership Crowdfunder.co.uk to save theatres across the UK.
The government have announced that gyms, fitness and dance studios, indoor swimming pools and sports clubs in Blackburn will be able to reopen from Tuesday 8th September.
Blackburn with Darwen council has confirmed that the extra local restrictions in some parts of Blackburn and Darwen have been lifted today. (Wednesday 26th August 2020) Government legislation has been
Blackburn with Darwen Council has announced it will look to open its leisure and community centres in August.
Nationally, the Government has said that gyms and swimming pools can re-open from July 25 if appropriate measures are in place.
However, the borough is currently in the top 10 list of local authorities that have higher rates of COVID-19 cases per 100,000.
And, in a bid to reduce the rates of infection to avoid a local lockdown, five new measures have been introduced for all residents.
They include reducing the numbers allowed to visit households to two, asking residents to wear a face covering in all enclosed public spaces and encouraging people to be tested.
Now, the council has announced that its leisure and community centres will instead look to open next month – on August 10.
Professor Dominic Harrison, Blackburn with Darwen’s Director for Public Health, said:
These decisions aren’t ever taken lightly. We know that these centres are popular with our residents and fundamental to their health and wellbeing.
We also don’t want residents to worry that this is part of a wider closure programme – it isn’t – we are doing everything in our power to avoid that.
Our staff had been working really hard to take the steps needed to make the facilities COVID safe and were really looking forward to being able to welcoming residents back safely.
However, as part of our dedicated approach to reducing the spread of Coronavirus in our borough, we are asking residents to play their part by adopting the five new measures we have introduced.
We’re also doing absolutely everything we can to stem the tide of infection rates.
Delaying the opening of these centres is another important step in our local outbreak response.
Full risk assessments and operational planning had been undertaken ready to reopen the centres on July 25, in-line with national guidance.
Now, staff are working hard on new offers – including live streaming of free classes for members and outdoor activities.
Professor Harrison said:
We have worked hard on a whole range of measures to be able to open our centres safely when the time is right.
This includes extensive and frequent cleaning, one way systems and pre-bookable slots.
However, with the number of cases of Coronavirus rising in Blackburn with Darwen at a rate above the national average, our number one priority remains the safety of our residents and our staff.
We are doing absolutely everything we can to prevent a second lockdown and have committed to reviewing the data again in two weeks’ time.
All membership fees continue to be fully suspended at the centres.
The five measures to be undertaken for the next month include:
A limit of two people from the same household allowed to visit another household
At the moment national guidance allows two families to meet indoors as long as they keep to social distancing guidance. We are asking residents to limit the numbers of people meeting indoors to people who live in the house plus only two members from a second household at any one time.
Wearing cloth face coverings in all enclosed public spaces
All residents will be strongly recommended to wear a cloth face covering (or non-surgical mask) in all enclosed public spaces. This means in all shops, workplaces, libraries, museums, health centres, hair and beauty salons etc.
Greeting and embracing
Rather than give handshakes or a hug, we’re asking people to only bump elbows with anyone outside of their immediate family. If we all do it, no one will be offended or think we’re being rude!
Support for small shops
We are stepping up our Public Protection advice and support to small shops across the borough to ensure that measures such as wearing face coverings, social distancing, good hygiene practice and increased ventilation are being followed to help reduce the risk of virus spread in these businesses.
Testing
We are doing more targeted testing this week, with the arrival of a mobile testing unit at Witton Park Academy in addition to the testing facility at Royal Blackburn Hospital. You don’t need to have symptoms to be tested – this will help us with case finding, identifying people who have no symptoms but who carry the virus.
Planet Ice in Blackburn, along with ice rinks across England, have had to put a pause on their anticipated reopening, as the Government say they were included in the guidance in error.
A temporary cut in VAT from 20% to 5% comes into force today allowing businesses in the food, drink and hospitality sectors to cut prices.
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery reopens tomorrow (Wednesday 15 July 2020) but you will need to plan ahead if you want to visit.
Serving & supporting the local community for over 12 years.
