Key messages about Our Community, Our Future 

Blackburn with Darwen is one of five national Integration Areas invited by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to work closely with them on innovative plans to address social integration. The borough was selected because of its strong track record for building bridges between diverse communities and its willingness to try new approaches.

We recognise the diversity of our borough as a strength and embrace opportunities to celebrate it.

Encouraging social integration strengthens our communities and workplaces, improves health outcomes, reduces social isolation and promotes better access to opportunities for jobseekers.

We can only achieve our vision by working in partnership with agencies across the borough, and empowering our local communities to also take a lead role.

Our strategy addresses the borough’s challenges over a generational timeframe – we recognise that there is no quick fix to change behaviours and attitudes.

While we recognise that some people from different backgrounds live separately in the borough, we value opportunities for people to come together at work, at school and college, in our leisure time and through shared interests.