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Marcus Saxton is one of the most recent new board members to join Blackburn Youth Zone, bringing with him over 20 years' experience within a variety of strategic leadership roles for household businesses such as PZ Cussons Plc, Molson Coors Beer Company, GlaxoSmithkline, Britvic Soft Drinks and Mars UK.
Marcus has had a long relationship with the centre as Totally Wicked have been a Gold Patron of Blackburn Youth Zone since April 2018.
As a Trustee, he will play a key role in the development and direction of the charity, using his wealth of commercial, marketing & communication experience to help deliver on the charity's strategic plans for growth.
Marcus joins a board of experts responsible for governing the charity, including former foreign secretary Jack Straw, who became Chairman of Blackburn Youth Zone in 2014 after stepping down as Labour MP for Blackburn.
Blackburn Youth Zone
Blackburn Youth Zone is a 21st century inclusive youth hub for young people. The centre aims to change the opportunities offered to all young people in Blackburn with Darwen and the surrounding areas. Since opening in 2012, Blackburn Youth Zone has supported over 15,000 young people and played a vital role in supporting young people and the community.
The youth centre now receives almost 1000 visits a week, with a growing membership of almost 4,000 young people aged eight to 19 (or up to 25 for those with disabilities).
Open 7 days a week, they offer up to 20 activities each evening for an entrance fee of just 50p. Activities on offer include art, music, sports, emotional health and wellbeing sessions, mentoring, employability support, healthy eating and much more.
In 2020-21 the charity distributed over 10,000 free meals to members of the community in need during the Covid-19 pandemic. When the crisis hit in March 2020, the centre quickly adapted the way in which they were able to support young people and the community. The Youth Zone launched its successful service to provide healthy, nutritious meals to anybody who needed one, supporting over 700 families in the borough.
Marcus Saxton said:
"It was a great privilege to be asked to join the board of trustees for Blackburn Youth Zone. The Youth Zone is such a vibrant and inspirational environment, which is a fabulous hub for the young people of Blackburn. Being able to play a role in how we can continue to evolve the services and opportunities available to the young people of Blackburn with Darwen is both rewarding and exciting."
Commenting on Marcus's appointment and plans for 2022, CEO of BYZ Hannah Allen
"It is a great privilege to welcome Marcus as the latest addition to our board of trustees. The board plays a vital role in driving Blackburn Youth Zone forward, so we can continue to provide valuable services to young people in the area.”
"Marcus is passionate about helping others reach their full potential and has inspired people throughout his varied career through his creativity and vision. We know he is the perfect fit for BYZ and we look forward to seeing what we can achieve with him on our board."
