Delivering social impact at Blackpool Youth and Community Centre

Warden’s completion of the Blackpool Youth and Community Centre strived to be a benchmark in community-focused construction.

Commissioned by Blackpool Council and completed in January 2025, this state-of-the-art 3,229 sq ft facility not only replaces an outdated building but also delivers substantial social, environmental, and economic value to the Talbot and Brunswick area.

One of the standout social value initiatives from the project was working with local children to create a time capsule to be buried on the site containing items from the present day. This was aimed at engaging with children and getting them thinking about the future, as well as creating a commemorative moment for the development.

We were also thrilled to support our client’s Big Food Project, volunteering our time at two food bank shifts, and donating money we raised through on-site fundraising activity.

Social value summary

Strengthening communities

Warden actively supported youth and community engagement throughout the project with:

• A time capsule event, in collaboration with the Blackpool Boys and Girls Club, involved children placing mementos into a capsule buried on site. The initiative involved 22 staff hours, exceeding the 20-hour goal.
• Volunteers contributed to The Big Food Project, delivering two five-hour food bank shifts and on-site fundraising.
• All site staff had access to Warden’s comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme, offering 24/7 wellbeing support including structured counselling and crisis intervention.

Driving environmental responsibility

Warden demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainability through:

• 20 hours of litter picking were completed by site operatives.
• A Carbon Reporting Guide was developed and shared with local SMEs, reflecting 10 hours of specialist input.
• Staff travelled a combined 9,378.6 miles in low or zero-emission vehicles, supporting Warden’s green transport plan.
• A £200 donation funded the planting of four trees at the centre, aligning with biodiversity targets.

Empowering local employment and skills

Warden showed its commitment to skills development and local jobs by:

• 3.03 full-time equivalents (FTE) were achieved – exceeding the original 3.0 FTE target.
• 100% local employment was maintained, surpassing the 90% target.
• Four weeks of apprentice training were delivered across key trades including groundworks, bricklaying and quantity surveying.
• A further 45 weeks of accredited training were completed by three senior team members, significantly above the initial three-week goal.

Through our delivery of the Blackpool Youth & Community Centre, Warden has proven its dedication to leaving a legacy that extends beyond the physical structure – embedding social, economic and environmental value at every stage.