STAFF from Utilita are raising money for two influential local charities.

The company will be opening its new Energy Hub is set to open in Blackburn town centre this year - and already the staff are immersing themselves into the local community and doing their bit to help good causes.

The team, made up of Store Manager, Darryl, Team Leader, Najeeb, and energy saving experts Uwais, Luke and Natalie, have thrown themselves into their first big fundraiser in support of two Blackburn charities - Nightsafe and Secret Santa.

Throughout January, the team are walking 500,000 steps - or around 236 miles – which is the distance it would take to walk from the new Hub in Blackburn town centre to several of the biggest football stadiums in the North West and back to the Hub again.

Their virtual journey is: The Hub – Ewood Park, Blackburn to Turf Moor, Burnley, to Deepdale, Preston, and onto Bloomfield Road, Blackpool.

From there, the virtual journey will continue to the University of Bolton Stadium in Bolton, DW Stadium in Wigan, Anfield in Liverpool, Goodison Park in Everton, over to Old Trafford then the Etihad in Manchester, across to Crown Oil Arena in Rochdale, to Boundary Park in Oldham, over to the Wham Stadium in Accrington and back again to the Hub.

In the first week the team racked up a whopping 126,600 steps, enough to blast past Ewood Park, Turf Moor and Deepdale and stride on towards Bloomfield Road.

Utilita will match any money raised, with the Hub team asking the community to dig deep and help make a difference to young lives across the borough.

A spokesperson for the Blackburn Utilita team said: “Both Nightsafe and Secret Santa work all year round, so we are giving them both a jumpstart on 2021,” say the team

“For us, it’s go big or go home. Please help us by donating to these amazing groups.”

To donate, please go to https://gf.me/u/zad6k2