A YOUTH centre has delivered 10,000 meals to the community during the coronavirus crisis.

Blackburn Youth Zone was required to quickly adapt the way it supports young people and the community when the pandemic hit.

On Monday, March 23, the youth zone staff and volunteers launched its service to provide healthy, nutritious meals each day from Monday to Friday to anybody who needed one.

Ten weeks later, they have supported over 700 families in the borough with their food service.

Hannah Allen Blackburn Youth Zone CEO said: “Blackburn Youth Zone felt it was extremely important to support young people and families during the Covid-19 crisis.

“Part of our core offer is providing a hot nutritious, low-cost meal on a daily basis to our members.

“With the uncertainty of securing food, we felt it was the right thing to do to re-deploy our efforts in ensuring no young person and family who needed it the most didn’t go without a hot, nutritious meal. “

Blackburn Youth Zone has worked alongside the voluntary and faith sector as well as Fare Share and Westholme School to ensure they are able to meet demand and have enough meals to go around.

Ms Allen said: “I am extremely proud that we have now supported the community with 10,000 meals, this has been a huge task would not have been possible without the donations we have received, the fantastic partners we have worked alongside and over 30 volunteers supporting us.”

As well as providing meals to those in need the youth zone has also been keeping young people engaged through an enriching virtual youth zone on social media and zoom sessions.

This has included keep fit sessions, cooking tutorials, dance classes and much more.