BLACKBURN with Darwen has been chosen by the government as one of five pilot boroughsto take part in a £50million project to integrate communities.

A key proposal is that schools whose pupils come from a single ethnic or religious heritage should be required to ensure they mix with children from other backgrounds.

The Integrated Communities Strategy calls on schools to teach ‘British values’ and sets out plans to boost English language skills and encourage women from minority communities to find jobs. The council volunteered to join the scheme which could bring it millions of extra pounds of extra cash in the next two years.

Blackburn with Darwen was chosen from a shortlist of boroughs facing integration challenges who were taking positive steps to tackle them. Its recently-adopted ‘social integration strategy’ already includes a schools-linking programme, bringing together classes from demographically diverse schools.

The other four local authorities chosen to pilot the scheme are Bradford, Peterborough, Bradford, Walsall and Waltham Forest in London.

A consultation Green Paper launched by Communities Secretary Sajid Javid warns social cohesion cannot be taken for granted in a multicultural UK. He said: “We cannot ignore the fact that in too many parts of our country communities are divided, preventing people from taking full advantage of the opportunities living in modern Britain offers.

“Successive governments have refused to deal with the integration challenges we face head on, preferring to let people muddle along and live isolated and separated lives. We will put an end to this through our new strategy.”

The five pilot ‘integration areas’ will develop local plans allowing new approaches to be tested, monitored and rolled out nationally if successful. The inclusion of Blackburn with Darwen - which has one of the highest ethnic minority populations in the country at 31 per cent mainly from India and Pakistan - has been welcomed.
In 2009 a study by expert Professor Ted Cantle said Blackburn was ‘one of the most ethnically divided towns in the country’. In January BBC Panorama aired a documentary ‘White Fright: Divided Britain’ claiming Blackburn was even more divided than when it filmed in the town in 2007.

Blackburn MP Kate Hollern said: “There is much good work being done in the town, by both the local council and by many voluntary organisations, and the government has clearly recognised this. I welcome any investment into Blackburn.”

Her predecessor Jack Straw, now chairman of Blackburn Youth Zone, said:”: “I am delighted that Blackburn with Darwen volunteered for this project. The borough is already doing a great deal of work on integration.
“The extra money will help work in the borough to bring people better together. The problem of divided schools is a very complicated one. One problem is ‘white flight’.

“This is why the work of the Youth Zone is so important in bringing young people from different communities together.”

Professor Cantle, who led a government enquiry into race riots in Burnley, Oldham and Bradford in 2001, said: “This project is definitely a good idea. Blackburn has become more divided over the last 10 to 15 years but there are many other towns and cities with same problems.

“Blackburn with Darwen council has done some exemplary work in this field but needs to do more, particularly in terms of segregated schools. It needs to change its admission policies.”

Cllr Mohammed Khan, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “We have a lot to be proud of and we want to see more done to encourage prosperity for all sections of the community.”

Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen Colin Rigby said: “I welcome these plans to tackle the root causes of poor integration.”There are still small sections of our community who still feel divided.

“ We need to reach out to these people and help them become fully integrated.”

Harry Catherall, borough chief executive, said: “This partnership will help trial and pioneer new ways to further advance integration. Our young population is one of our biggest assets and is already leading the way on this agenda, which promises real hope for the future.”

A government spokesman said: “Learning from the five areas about what works - and, just as importantly, what doesn’t work - will be shared more widely as the programme develops.”

THE government’s plans include:
* boosting English language skills through a community-based English language programme;
* a new network of conversation clubs;
* support to improve provision of English language tuition for those who need it most;
* Increasing economic opportunity, particularly for women, with Jobcentre Plus trialling new ways of supporting people from isolated communities into work through personalised skills training;
* ensuring that every child receives an education that prepares them for modern Britain by giving them the opportunity to mix with those from different backgrounds;
* promotion of British values across the school curriculum;
* building stronger leadership;
* supporting recent migrants to integrate into the community;
* promoting equal rights for marginalised women, including exploring reform of the law on marriage and religious weddings;
* building vibrant communities with ‘An Integration Innovation Fund ‘ to test out new approaches to bring people from different backgrounds together;
* better use of shared community spaces such as parks and libraries

ACTIONS the council has taken so far towards integration:
* the schools linking programme in 2017/18, bringing together classes from demographically diverse schools to build new relationships;
* creation of Blackburn Central High School from the mainly Asian Beardwood High and predominantly white working class Blakewater College;
* delivering a programme of English in the community, in schools and across employers;
* developing a targeted skills programme to raise the aspirations of under achieving communities to increase their representation in the labour market;
* adopting its ‘Social Integration Strategy 2017/2018’;
* running the Meet Your Neighbours project to foster links between young people from different backgrounds;
* the 100 Voices initiative to gather people from different communities together; for discussion; and 
* Your Call campaign bringing communities together through volunteering and social action.