Breaking Barriers in Burnley is a multi-agency youth provision, which aims to involve young people from different areas, backgrounds and cultures together in order to develop positive relationships between the various communities of Burnley. It works to tackle racism, bring communities together, promote understanding and tolerance and to reduce conflict by providing constructive activities for the young people of Burnley.

The group is open to young people between the ages of 13+ and meets once a week in the basement of the Central Methodist Church in the centre of Burnley, home of The Basement Project (see above). The group works on various projects mainly at tackling attitudes to oppression and racism, promoting tolerance and dispelling myths.

Due to involvement of various agencies and volunteers from around Burnley the group benefits from a variety of inputs from team building, peer mentoring to forum theatre.

Recent projects have seen the group develop a piece of drama that they perform around Burnley, which highlights the future of Burnley if far extreme political views are not challenged now. The drama has now been produced into a DVD and is being shown in various schools, youth clubs, and community and faith groups.

Project type

• Anti-racism
• Conflict resolution
• Interfaith
• Youth groups

Region

• Burnley