GOOD causes in Blackburn will receive a welcome funding boost.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has been working to close down defunct charities previously run by the local authority and The Making Rooms and The Peel Foundation are to benefit.

The Garstang Lecture Fund had more than £28,000 left in accounts and the money is to be split between the two causes, with £26,000 going to The Making Rooms and £2,000 to the Peel Foundation.

The Peel Foundation provides scholarships to students and is open to and promoted in all Blackburn with Darwen Year 13 schools.

Awards are made of £500 each and are made annually on the basis of applications submitted.

The Making Rooms will utilise the funds for their proposed education programme aimed more widely at secondary schools in the borough over the next two years. Leader of the council, Cllr Mohammed Khan, said: “A report was previously presented to the council’s executive board in August 2018.

“This resolved to close the accounts of the Garstang Lecture Fund and approved the transfer of funds to other charities.

“These good causes were identified by the director of finance and customer services, in consultation with the executive member for resources, as having the same purpose.

“It was agreed by the executive board in August to change the purpose of the Garstang Lecture Fund to ‘support educational development of children and young people in the borough’ to ensure the monies are applied to benefit the educational needs of people in the borough.”

Cllr Khan has also approved proposals to transfer almost £10,000 from external investments to The Making Rooms.

Once this has been completed, accounts will be closed and the Garstang Lecture Fund will be shut down.

The council’s director of finance and customer services, Louise Mattinson, and director of HR, legal and governance, David Fairclough, will carry out all necessary legal formalities to remove the charity from the Charities Commission and to close all business and dealing, transferring the amounts as determined.