A NEW team of community development workers is setting out to help make Blackburn with Darwen a stronger borough.

As part of the borough’s Our Community, Our Future social integration strategy, the engagement and integration officers aim to help to connect people and communities to activities that support Blackburn with Darwen Council's integration goals for the borough.

Blackburn with Darwen is one of five national integration areas working closely with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government on a programme to address social integration challenges through innovation.

The six-strong team is tasked with helping even the most hard to reach residents take part in activities that aim to break down any barriers between themselves and others from backgrounds different to their own.

Each member of the team is assigned to an area of the borough.

They will also work together in pairs to support activities across community development, young people and schools linking – to help individuals and groups from different parts of the borough make connections.

Working with a variety of agencies supporting integration work in Blackburn with Darwen, council bosses hope they will build on the borough’s strengths.

Cllr Mohammed Khan, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “These new roles have a key part to play in our social integration plans, connecting the people of Blackburn with Darwen to opportunities to get involved in the Our Community, Our Future programme.

"Over time they will become embedded in the neighbourhoods in which they work, building important relationships with individuals and a wide variety of agencies and our delivery partners to help people understand how integration is Blackburn with Darwen is everyone’s business.”

To find out how you can get involved in Our Community, Our Future, call the social integration team on 01254 304597 or email integration@blackburn.gov.uk.