Three Year National Lottery Community Fund Boost To Supercharge Blackpool's Community Groups.

Three Year National Lottery Community Fund Boost To Supercharge Blackpool's Community Groups.

Pictured left to right: Alistair Clarke MBE, Chair, Social Enterprise Solutions; Lynn

Saggerson, Chief Executive Officer, Community First Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde;

Tracy Hopkins, Chief Executive Officer, Citizens Advice Blackpool; Tony Carr,

Managing Director, Social Enterprise Solutions

Blackpool is set for a major lift thanks to a new three year programme designed to

help local organisations thrive and support even more residents.

The Blackpool Community Action Network (BCAN) will expand the training, guidance and

hands on support available to voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise

(VCFSE) groups — from funding bids and governance to finance, planning and

day to day operations.

The programme also strengthens volunteering across the town, helping

organisations attract new volunteers while connecting local people with meaningful

opportunities. A new development worker will focus on supporting groups working

directly with residents facing poverty, discrimination and isolation, helping them build

confidence, skills and long term resilience.

The initiative is delivered by Community First BWF, Citizens Advice

Blackpool and Social Enterprise Solutions CIC, who have secured funding from

the National Lottery Community Fund to continue and grow their successful

partnership. Their previous collaboration, supported by the UK Shared Prosperity

Fund via Blackpool Council, helped hundreds of local groups over the last three

years.

A major priority is helping organisations secure new funding. The partnership will

share opportunities, connect groups with funders and encourage longer term

planning to reduce reliance on short term grants. They will also continue to attract

small grant funding, with nearly £100,000 already distributed to more than 70

Blackpool groups in recent years.

Lynn Saggerson, Chief Officer at Community First, said: 

“Blackpool faces significant social and health challenges, and the organisations working at grassroots level are doing incredible work every day. Over the next three years, the Blackpool Community Action Network will give them the support, skills and confidence they need to grow stronger — bringing in more funding, more volunteers and moreleaders so they can keep making a real difference in our community.”