Residents from the Galligreaves Estate, Blackburn led a community clean up on Shakespeare Way, Hancock Street and Stansfeld Street.

Residents involved in the programme are known as ‘Resident advisors’ and they have been working with Blackburn with Darwen Council and BwD Healthy Living to help shape what happens in their community.

Litter and housing problems had been raised by some of those living in the area.

Koser Khan, Research Associate, from Lancaster University said: “Bringing together partners in communities such as the local council, residents and other statutory bodies for co-production can really make an impact.

“Our research project seeks to identify, implement and evaluate local initiatives aimed at enhancing ‘system resilience’ to improve social determinants of population health in communities and contribute to reducing health inequalities.”

A resident said: “It’s really nice that we have started this clean up; we have to start somewhere to tidy this area up”

The clean-up was triggered as part of a research project, The Neighbourhood Resilience Programme, being managed the Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care in the North West Coast area of England (CLAHRC NWC), at the University of Lancaster.