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Plan for £400,000 upgrade to indoor sports complex revealed

Blackburn Rovers Indoor Centre
Blackburn Rovers Indoor Centre

PLANS for a major upgrade of the Blackburn Rovers Indoor Centre have been unveiled.

The Blackburn Rovers Community Trust charity - which runs the complex near Ewood Park - is seeking to raise £400,000 for the refurbishment.

The centre provides opportunities for residents of all ages and backgrounds - especially young people who use it for grassroots football - as well as employment and educational services.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has pledged £50,000 from its Covid economy recovery programme to kick start the funding appeal to renovate the sporting complex.

The trust has committed £100,000 to the scheme and will now apply for a further £250,000 from the Football Foundation.

The cash will be used to modernise the centre – known locally as the BRIC - which is in need of upgrading.

The disability-friendly facility will also be used for regular walking football sessions – encouraging those with limited mobility to exercise and socialise.

And there’ll be a focus on development programmes linked to Blackburn Rovers’ Academy, including encouraging more girls to take up football.

Councillor Phil Riley, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s regeneration boss, said: “As we start to recover from the pandemic, these sporting facilities are more important than ever.

“The £50,000 we are pledging from the Covid economic recovery programme paves the way for Blackburn Rovers Community Trust to embark on their plans for a £400,000 refurbishment which is fantastic news for our residents.

“As well as the improved facilities for the grassroots football teams, it will be home to a full-time post-16 college programme and used by primary schools from across the area and more."

Cllr Maureen Bateson, ward councillor for Ewood and a trustee of the community trust, said: “This is the start of something really exciting for the BRIC.

“It’s such a valuable facility for the community and by securing the funding needed, we’ll be able to modernise it to ensure residents have access to the very best facilities.”

If the trust's funding bid to the Football Foundation is approved, work will start later this year.

Gary Robinson, chief executive of Blackburn Rovers Community Trust, said: “We are absolutely delighted that our council recognises the Blackburn Rovers Indoor Centre as an important community asset and the opportunities it creates for the betterment of local people.

“By committing £50,000 towards the renovation, it will help to ensure that the BRIC is fit for purpose and can be enjoyed by all communities in addition to the many thousands who have already enjoyed using the BRIC over the last 20 years.”