Visited With Scrappy
History.
Blackburn YMCA was established in 1896 in the Limbrick area, moving in the 1960's to its former home Edinburgh House, on Clarence Street. Our latest move has seen us moving to premises on Wellington Street St John's.
In the early days the YMCA was a meeting place for bored young Christian men to meet. Over the next few decades this emphasis on men only changed to so that women and members of other religions were also made welcome. During the late 1960's and 1970's there was a men only hostel situated on Shear bank Road but the decline of heavy engineering and the ending of apprenticeships in Blackburn spelt the end for the need for this type of accommodation and the building was sold.
In the 1980's and 90's the YMCA centre on Clarence Street thrived but gradually changing leisure needs and spiralling maintenance costs forced the sale of this building in 2005.
External
Sports Hall
Squash Court
Upstairs
Peelyness
Not much left
Thats all from me!