A TEENAGE takeover of Darwen town centre, with a vital medical mission in mind, has been declared a success.

Supporters of Darwen Youth Club devised their own dedicated festival to put themselves on the map.

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And in memory of tragic Darwen teenager Sky Nicol they also raised much-needed funds for a defibrillator at the Knott Street venue.

Co-ordinated by 14-year Darwen Studio student Ellie Walsh, the event spread from the youth club to Darwen Circus.

Ellie said: “We were up around 5am getting things together and making sure the stage was erected but it’s been worth it. We wanted to raise money for a defibrillator because if anyone was to have heart problems, the nearest one is located inside Asda, or the library.

“And we also wanted people to know what goes on here at the centre and how they can get involved.”

Youth club members have been busy giving their home a new lick of paint recently and have a number of colourful and inspirational mural boards to install, when the job is finished.

One popular attraction was bubble football, where players could compete encased in plastic bouncy spheres, while others tried out a climbing wall or were given tips on how to play the drums.

Meanwhile in the town centre youth worker Cain Garvin had the task of ensuring the live entertainment, featuring the likes of Charlotte Lilly and Fish & Friends, ran to schedule. He said: “It is all in memory of Sky Nicol but we also wanted people to know where we are and what we do. It’s been a chance for all young people in Darwen to come together.”

A coroner ruled 16-year-old Sky Nicol died after consuming a cocktail of drugs.

An added bonus was that the town’s uniformed presence was also staging their own Emergency Services Day outside the market, with Lancashire Police, Lancashire Fire and Rescue and the North West Ambulance Service all represented. Most of the interest though was reserved though for police horses Finnegan and Caton, and their riders PCs Callesen Catterick and Sarah Crook.

Fairground games were another crowd-pleaser, courtesy of the Rosemere Cancer Appeal, with Darwen Scouts chipping in by staging a human fruit machine for amateur gamblers.