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In Blackburn with Darwen, the Active BwD initiative is dedicated to nurturing healthier, more active communities using an approach that integrates policy influence, strengths based leadership, community engagement and targeted support.

We are engaging senior leaders to shape policies, leveraging activities in outdoor environments, targeting communities within high priority wards and supporting young people at risk.

Our commitment to promoting physical activity, whilst improving mental and physical health and addressing health and social disparities, has seen an increase in physical activity levels, and a decrease in inactivity levels. (Active Lives 2023 Dataset)

The following three workstreams collectively strive to create safer, more inclusive environments where physical activity is accessible and encouraged for all

Together Darwen

a customised approach in response to local people’s requests

Active Environments

Increasing physical activity throughout green, blue and urban spaces

Active Conversations

foregrounding dialogues and support to prioritise health, wellbeing and physical activity

We are Undefeatable

Localising the national We Are Undefeatable campaign across Blackburn with Darwen

Together Darwen

When asked, many people in Darwen told us there were a range of physical and social barriers to engaging with provision in Blackburn. Our approach ensures that Darwen’s unique assets and needs are always at the foreground of our physical activity strategy within the town. We also aim to spotlight and influence how other projects in the area foreground physical activity. There is huge pride in Darwen and people wanted to utilise the strengths of their locality including their parks and green spaces.

Green Spaces

In response to conversations and public feedback, investment has been made into Whitehall Park, with the building of a brand new ‘Learn to Ride’ track, including provision for an instructor. The X-plorer trail has also been mapped in this park, which has already proved popular, with the ‘Friends of Whitehall Park’ group assisting with monitoring the trail. Further partnerships and collaborative work are in progress; for example, through ‘Active Seasons’ British orienteering launching newly mapped routes in more parks across Darwen. 

Tower Above – Youth Work

TaAF has also significantly invested in the young people of Darwen in the ‘Tower Above’ project. Partnering with Blackburn with Darwen Youth Zone, ‘Tower Above’ aims to increase sport and physical activity opportunities while empowering local young people, staff and the wider community to promote and embed a healthy, active and socially responsible future.  

This project will: 

  • Incorporate mental wellbeing, mentorship and promotion of healthy lifestyles
  • Utilise outreach services to promote and provide additional physical activity sessions directly within areas with high levels of anti-social behaviour
  • Aim to equip young people with skills and experiences to shape their perspectives and strive for a healthy, happy future. 
  • Enhance the skill sets of young individuals, whilst bolstering their ambitions through training and activities inspired by their interests
  • Enhance access to sports and competitive opportunities, chosen and requested by the young people of Darwen. 
Read more about Tower Above's goalsHealthy Lifestyle Characteristics

Active Environments

Through forging strong partnerships with other council departments such as Parks, Leisure, Health, Children’s Services and Transport, we are working together to create the Active Environments Framework for BwD.

Within our workstream areas of development include:

• Investment in ‘Active Outdoor Hubs’ in different parks across BwD to encourage wider participation within the heart of communities and facilitate grass roots partnership working.

• Engaging target groups across BwD to broader reaching system partners. This work includes organising events using our urban and green spaces, for example, health events for PCN’s in Darwen town centre and local parks and Brew, Chat and Check health events within Witton Park and other venues throughout the borough.

Read about our work with SAS Rights (page6)Impact reports from Wellbeing Events

• Engaging target groups at the hyper local level; utilising asset-based community development to engage communities and make improvements in specific areas which experience high levels of health inequalities and deprivation. For example, work with Ashgrove community group to facilitate and enable their needs and aspirations for their community through health and physical activity.

• Working closely with social prescribers, including green social prescribing initiatives, creating a network of trusted providers to broaden the reach and increase the delivery and range of outdoor opportunities. The work also extends to support the groups to create sustainable provisions through training, volunteering opportunities and providing facilities.

• Further engage the wider BwD community through ‘Active Seasons’, deepening partnership delivery through a range of activities and healthy lifestyle opportunities across the course of the year.

See our impact reports from Active Seasons

Active Conversations

Promoting physical activity and prioritising health across all levels, from senior leaders to grassroots organisations.

Higher level strategic conversations

Our work in this area involves influencing system partners to shape policies promoting physical activity and health, for example, the completion of the ‘Healthy Weight Declaration’. Having forged strong working relationships, we work in close partnership with population health, raising the profile of Health and Wellbeing and physical activity within the Social Prescribing offer and supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing. Furthermore, through aligning closely with Population Health, we aim to target support and actions within priority wards.

Delivery partners

Active BwD network has created a strong group of over 150 groups and partner organisations, who are all committed to highlighting physical activity and working together to provide opportunities across the borough. The regular network meetings serve as a forum for groups to showcase their work, create further bonds and work together. Furthermore, we utilise these sessions to strength test new ideas and ask critical friends to offer feedback so we can continue to innovate and improve. We are constantly seeking out new groups and partners to work with to ensure TaAF priorities are met in all communities across BwD, and to lay the path for sustainability for the future.

Sustainability through training

We offer health and physical activity training and supported volunteering opportunities to our partners to enable upskilling within their organisations for their service users – for example ‘Make Every Contact Count’ to use the opportunities arising during their sessions to have conversations about how they might make positive improvements to their health or wellbeing. Additionally, we support grassroots groups and partners to access training which builds their capacity to deliver physical activity sessions to the wider community, i.e. walk leader and cycle training.

 

Utilising digital platforms to engage and inspire conversations

Improving traffic across our digital platforms through engagement activities (such as booking facilities for the ‘Active Seasons’ program) to facilitate opportunistic health advice, support and interventions. Refresh Blackburn with Darwen

Embedding physical activity signposting, and health and wellbeing services into the aftercare from Health Checks and the ‘We are Undefeatable Campaign’ to ensure impact is meaningful to individuals seeking out support, through the health and wellbeing hub and trusted partners across the Active BwD network.

We Are Undefeatable

The We Are Undefeatable in Blackburn with Darwen campaign, launched in June 2024, is a localised version of a national initiative aimed at inspiring individuals with long-term health conditions to become more physically active. Developed through a collaboration between Together an Active Future, We Are Undefeatable, and local partners, the campaign addresses high inactivity rates and health inequalities in the borough.

The campaign features real-life stories from local residents of different ages and backgrounds, showcasing how physical activity can help manage long-term health conditions. These stories, available in multiple formats including British Sign Language and audio transcriptions, are shared alongside signposting to local services and activities.

Key objectives include raising awareness about physical activity’s role in health, supporting local health priorities, and increasing understanding among healthcare professionals. The campaign leverages local public health data to target priority audiences and engage a broad range of stakeholders.

Designed for accessibility and inclusivity, the campaign focuses on free or low-cost activities, ensuring it reaches those most likely to experience health inequalities. The resources created for this campaign can also be adapted for use by other communities facing similar challenges.

Read more about the campaign

For more information contact Amy, Blackburn with Darwen TaAF Lead.

Amy.Greenhalgh@blackburn.gov.uk