Darwen based Welding and Fabrication specialists WEC Group Ltd have recently revealed that they have chosen Youth Zone Darwen as their Charity of the Year for 2023.

WEC Group Selects Darwen Youth Zone as their Charity of the Year for 2023!


We have recently revealed that they have chosen Youth Zone Darwen as their Charity of the Year for 2023.

WEC have been championing local causes for the past 13 years, selecting a different worthy cause at the start of each year to channel all their fundraising efforts towards.

This year’s pick has come on the back of the company’s recent move to become one of the Youth Zone’s Gold Patrons last year, following a local appeal aimed at emulating the existing Youth Zone’s offering in neighbouring Blackburn.

Managing Director of WEC Group, Steve Hartley, said “Blackburn & Darwen Youth Zone work extremely hard providing care to young people throughout our community and we are delighted to continue our support of this great charity.”

Youth Zone Darwen is a new community facility which provides a safe and welcoming environment for young people aged 5 to 19, offering a wide range of activities, support services and opportunities. The new facilities in Darwen are an extension of the Blackburn Youth Zone which opened their doors during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to meet the rising demand in the local town. The charity has since then helped thousands of young people in the area, giving them the skills, confidence and opportunities they need to fulfil their potential.

The new ‘Charity of the Year’ partnership will also create a further link between the Youth Zone and our Engineering Academy, giving young people who attend Darwen Youth Zone the chance to tour our facilities and learn more about their apprenticeship opportunities.

Mr Hartley added “We are extremely proud of our staff’s ongoing contribution towards supporting our Charity of the Year and we would like to thank all our employees, customers and suppliers for their kind donations.”

Our staff are no stranger to fundraising challenges, having most recently raised £8,592 for Dementia UK in 2022 and £14,010 for East Lancashire Hospice in 2019. This was achieved through corporate charity golf days, sponsored walks, raffles and numerous bake sales.

For more information about our previous Charity of the Year fundraising, please visit our Corporate Social Responsibility page.

For more information about Blackburn & Darwen Youth Zone and the work they do, please visit their website.