Free Blackburn and Darwen leisure scheme extended to the young

12:00pm Friday 29th August 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

YOUNG people in Blackburn and Darwen are to be given free access to leisure centres in the latest phase of the borough’s health drive.

From Monday, 16 to 24-year-olds will be able to use most council-run facilities without paying.

The £6million Re:fresh scheme, the first of its kind in the country, has already been made available to over 50s, and will be rolled out to the rest of the borough in April.

People looking to take advantage of the offer, introduced after it was revealed people in Blackburn with Darwen die on average eight years before people in the rest of the country, need to apply for a free Beez card.

A Blackburn Rovers player will be in the town centre at 2pm on Monday to help launch the second phase of the joint council and PCT project.

As well as residents of the Blackburn with Darwen, Re:fresh is open to people who work, study or go to a GP surgery in the borough.

Coun Michael Law-Riding, executive member for culture and leisure, said demand for the cards had rocketed since the offer was made to over 50s in July.

He said: “It is early days, but before the scheme was launched in July we issued over 4,000 more Beez cards than we did in the same period last year.

“Our leisure centres are busier than ever, particularly with families and the message coming back is that people are loving free leisure.

"I hope the trend will continue and people really will feel the benefits of better health to make the shocking statistics a thing of the past.”

Nick Kennedy, chair of NHS Blackburn with Darwen added: “There are lots of different ways of being active to improve your health and happiness.

"I’m pleased so many adults and families have taken up this opportunity and hope the 16 to 24 year-olds will join them to establish good, health habits for life.”