A brush with charity for Blackburn lads

Blackburn Rovers’ Academy apprentices hung up their football boots and picked up paintbrushes as part of a decorating challenge to help Darwen-based charity Nightsafe.

The 14 young hopefuls competed in a seven-a-side contest to decorate two flats at Woodvale, which is accommodation used by Nightsafe to house young homeless people.

The challenge was set up by Wendy Hobson, Employee Involvement Manager of Community and Business Partners, which provides a link between businesses and the local community.

Wendy says that they wanted to put on a challenge that would prove beneficial to the lads at the Academy as well as Nightsafe. “This was an ideal project as only a very small percentage of the boys who attend the Academy will succeed in becoming Premiership footballers. It will help them see the other side of life and help keep their feet firmly on the ground.”

Nightsafe is a homeless housing service and the Woodvale project in Darwen provides young people with the final step before moving on to full independent living.
Simon Donnelly of Nightsafe and project manager at Woodvale says: “Nightsafe greatly appreciates the help given by the Academy boys and the initiative set up by the community and business partners.

“As well as benefiting the homeless people who will be moving into the flats, I think that giving these lads a chance to mix with the residents from the other flats will have been a great experience for them.”

Pictured, back row, left to right: Andreas Arestidou, Kris Paterson, Daragh Tuffy, John Bateson, Michael O’Connor and Conor Kavanagh.
Front row: Rick Leighton, Wendy Hobson, Simon Donnelly.

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