Community Projects

Community Engagement

Over 500 members of the community use the Energy Zone every week, for a host of different activities — including majorette practice, netball, table tennis, football, craft classes, gardening and horticulture, afternoon teas and mum and toddler groups. The centre is also home to specific projects like Streets, Gro Zone and there’s even a breakfast club each week when local councillors attend an informal surgery with local residents.

SAMS (Scrap Art Material Store)

SAMS, which is based at the Energy Zone, brings together public and private organisations with the aim of encouraging recycling within the local business community. Over the last six years, SAMS has collected and recycled waste materials destined for landfill, donated from public and private organisations. These clean and non-toxic scrap materials are sorted and put on display so that they can be offered to SAMS members as art and craft material. Members include schools, colleges, nurseries, play groups, pensioners’ groups and other community organisations. SAMS has it all under one roof, creating a unique environment for the community to engage in. With the help of SAMS CBP places the spotlight firmly on recycling, actively encouraging environmental awareness within the local business community. Companies can reduce their carbon footprint and develop social responsibility, not to mention boosting their profits. SAMS has created a network of companies and members across the region and works tirelessly, creating partnerships with other recycling projects across the whole country. SAMS is located at The Energy Zone, Newfield Drive, Blackburn.

Charities @ Sams - Christmas & Easter Challenges

We run the Christmas Wishes Appeal and Easter Challenge — appeals which ask residents and businesses to help the most vulnerable members of our community. Via the Christmas Wishes Appeal gifts — including chocolate, selection boxes, new toys, toiletries, non perishable food and money — are distributed to charities and organisations that work tirelessly to support vulnerable people in our area. It’s a similar story with the Easter Challenge, though at this time we ask for Easter eggs to be donated. Both are also consistently well-supported. From time to time Charities @ SAMS will pass on large scale donations from SAMS to a specific charity group. For example if we’re given 100s of pairs of curtains we’ll contact a specific group where they can be used directly to help the needy. To find out more: http://www.energy-zone.org.uk/sams.html

Volunteering

We’re on the constant lookout for volunteers, to support the many projects delivered at the Energy Zone. We provide a structured activity and support programme for all our volunteers. We want people to have funwhilst getting involved in a project that suit them.

Promoting Environmental Issues

Green - CBP are passionate about helping the environment. So much so both of the buildings we’re housed in - the Blackburn Enterprise centre and the Energy Zone have lots of environmental features. For example, the Energy Zone is a case study in renewable energy technology. It has two air source heat pumps to heat the radiators, solar panels to heat our water instead of using electricity and photovoltaic panels, which convert sunlight back into electricity, which we can sell back to the national grid.

Healthy Living

Healthy Living is a BwD charity whose aim is to ensure local people have access to and are involved in the design and delivery of services that improve their health and well being. Through their activities at the Energy Zone, the charity works in a number of ways: promotion of health and well-being, community engagement, prevention and volunteers and training. The projects include a community gym and a food co-op run by local volunteers which sells fruit and vegetables. Here at Energy Zone we promote a ‘healthy living’ attitude to eating, growing and sourcing your food, decreasing your food miles and increasing your appetite for life.

Engagement

Roman Road Community Centre at Energy Zone - The Roman Road Community Centre provides a place for all ages and walks of life to congregate and take part in a whole host of activities. There are a number of community groups and sessions which run in the hall, some of which are delivered by the Community Assets team and others are either led by volunteers or delivered by partner organisations. Over 500 people use this facility every week, taking part in dance and sport classes, workshops, breakfast clubs and much more. For more information please visit www.energy-zone.org.uk