AN old rubbish dump has been transformed into a community space.

The project has seen the eyesore site in Belle Vue Street, Blackburn, turned into a ‘Garden of Memories’ for the community.

It has seen Lancashire Care Foundation Trust’s community restart service team up with residents and staff at the Places for People Complex.

The aim of the garden is to create a place of peace for people to access in the community.

Residents who had lived at the complex devised the idea after feeling they had never really integrated with the community there.

The area of Wensley Fold is one of the most deprived in Blackburn with Darwen.

Over recent years, a number of tragic incidents have hit the community.

Following on from this, residents really wanted to connect with the wider community and make change in the area.

Both organisations ran a community consultation and the idea for the ‘Garden of Memories’ was born.

Lisa Smith, community restart service manager at Lancashire Care said: “We are extremely thrilled to have been part of developing such a great community asset for local people.

“The project truly is a real example of integrated partnership working at its best.”

Andrew Trollope, housing and wellbeing adviser at Places for People said: “It’s been great working with Blackburn with Darwen Community Restart, the partnership working has really bought everyone together.”

Businesses Aladdin’s Carpets, Brent Stevenson’s Memorials and Johnson Street Pharmacy donated to the garden.

Community Restart, Places for People and residents in the area will be opening the doors of Devonport Court and the garden of memories on Thursday, February 15.

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