Seventeen year-olds, Jamie Lynch and Ricky Roocroft, were invited to speak at the intergenerational event organised by the Council called Talking ‘bout My Generation.
The pair hang around in the Church Street area and use the spot as a meeting place with other young people.
The event at King George’s Hall aimed to bring together people of different ages to discuss stereotypes and to encourage them to share experiences.
Jamie, a Blackburn College student, said: “It really helped a lot of people.
“Afterwards people came up and said things like: ‘Before we were scared to walk past Church Street, now we know what you’re like we don’t have a problem’.”
Also invited were a number of young people from BWDYouthBank, members of the youth forum¸ BwD Cross-School Group and teens who work with the Council’s young people’s services.
In addition, members of the Older People’s Partnership also attended. Pauline Walsh, chief executive of Age Concern Blackburn with Darwen, spoke at the event.
Christine Robinson, chair of Higher Croft Action Group, who was also a guest speaker, congratulated organisers for helping to build bridges.
She says it is the minority of youngsters who ruin the reputation of young people.
“The majority of kids especially in Higher Croft are wonderful and they are being slighted by a handful of kids.”
She added: “Some elderly people do feel very, very vulnerable only because of a lack of communication with the kids.
“We run a youth club and I want to invite the older generation to come to meet
up with them, have tea and coffee and just to get to know them.”
Executive member for culture, leisure and sport, councillor Michael Law-Riding said: “As a council we work hard to try and understand the needs of young people and events like these help to make sure their voices are heard.”
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