THE centre for young people which is being built inside the new £21million community health facility in Blackburn town centre has been named ‘everybody.’

A unique feature of the Barbara Castle Way Health Centre, is the everybody centre which will provide services supporting young people’s health and wellbeing.

All services will be available under one roof, creating a ‘one-stop’ shop for youngsters.

This will include sexual health, drug and alcohol advice, emotional and mental health services, as well as more universal services like treatment rooms and general help and advice.

Organisations including Brook, Connexions, LifeLine and Lancashire Care Foundation Trust will work in the centre.

And youngsters have played a part, themselves, in developing the new centre.

A development group of youngsters worked with architects, artists, drama teachers and the service providers when planning the resource, the first of its kind in the area.

Sir Bill Taylor, NHS Blackburn with the Darwen Care Trust Plus chairman, said the input from young people likely to be using the completed centre had proved to be an invaluable help to developers and experts.

He said: “It was essential that young people were at the heart of the development and they have played an active part in designing the centre and naming it, choosing ‘everybody’ for its sense of inclusivity. They felt it gave the centre a welcoming feel while retaining an element of anonymity for those accessing the services.

“Young people have specific needs when accessing health services which are distinct from adults.

“The ‘one stop approach’ of the everybody centre will minimise the risk of them being stigmatised for accessing a particular service in a particular building.”

The Barbara Castle Way Health Centre in Simmons Street is set to open at the end of October.

The ‘everybody’ centre will open in the second week of November.