Crown Paints and Blackburn Round Table Bring Us Colour

Crown Paints and the Blackburn Round Table have brought some colour into the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in the community – by repainting Platform 5.

As well as offering emergency accommodation and supported housing, Nightsafe operates a day centre where young people can drop in to relax, take a shower, do laundry, or speak to a counsellor or advisor one-to-one.

When Nightsafe decided to repaint Platform 5, Crown Paints stepped in to donate the paint, with a team of volunteers from Crown and charitable organisation Blackburn Round Table signing up to help redecorate.

The young people using the centre selected the colours themselves, opting for calming shades of blue, green and pink to help promote a relaxed environment.

Eight volunteers spent three days repainting the hallway, the main communal area, bathrooms and private one-to-one room.

Nightsafe’s CEO, Jan Larkin, said: “Platform 5 is a vital space for helping young vulnerable people gain a foothold in the rehousing system, whilst accessing a host of other services – whether that’s counselling or just somewhere safe and warm to spend the day.

“The refurbishment has improved the centre no end, and as the young people we work with were able to choose the colour scheme themselves, they really feel they have a stake in the place now. I’m very grateful to both Crown Paints and Blackburn Round Table for all their help in making this a reality.”

John Vause, Crown Paints’ store sales development and trainer, said: “As one of the largest employers in this region, Crown is a big part of the community and we’re always looking for ways that we can give something back.

“It was a privilege for me personally to work alongside the Round Table to help refresh Nightsafe’s Platform 5 centre – it looks fantastic and I’m sure that the young people who use the centre will be very pleased with the end result too. It’s proof of how colour can help to create a sense of community.”