Blackpool Unlimited Logo
✕
  • Home
  • Business Support
    • Blackpool Growth Business Academy
      • Case Studies
    • Blackpool Net Zero Business Academy
      • Case Studies
    • Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone
    • Property Locator
    • How do I get started?
    • Partners
  • Office Services
    • Office Services
    • Office Space
    • Meeting Rooms
    • Hybrid Meetings
    • Virtual Office Service
    • Virtual Tour
  • About
    • Social Value
    • Climate Change
  • News
  • Events
  • Contact
  • The Robinson
Sign up for Blackpool Business News & Events
Are you looking to grow your business?
How close to net zero is your business?
Facebook Link
Instagram Link
Youtube
x ( Twitter)
linkedin
Join our newsletter
Blackpool Unlimited Logo
Blackpool-Growth-Business-Academy-Logo
BLACKPOOL NET ZERO BUSINESS ACADEMY LOGO
  • Home
  • Business Support
    • Blackpool Growth Business Academy
      • Case Studies
    • Blackpool Net Zero Business Academy
      • Case Studies
    • Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone
    • Property Locator
    • How do I get started?
    • Partners
  • Office Services
    • Office Services
    • Office Space
    • Meeting Rooms
    • Hybrid Meetings
    • Virtual Office Service
    • Virtual Tour
  • About
    • Social Value
    • Climate Change
  • News
  • Events
  • Contact
  • The Robinson
 

“We were one of the first tenants at the Enterprise Centre, and we’ve never budged.”

 

 

Even a social enterprise needs to be a business first and foremost. That’s why “it needs to be located in the same world,” says Tony Carr, as he explains the reasons he made Blackpool Enterprise Centre the base for his organisation.

Lots of businesses do good. What makes a social enterprise different is that doing good is a part of its constitution. That’s the case for Social Enterprise Solutions (SES), which has been championing social enterprise in Blackpool since 2006.

“Often, particularly where there are areas of deprivation, social enterprise tends to flourish, explains Tony Carr, Managing Director of SES and Lancashire’s Social Enterprise Champion for 2021/22. “We’ve been working to develop the sector in Blackpool since then, working to explain what social enterprise is, bringing communities together to create a more sustainable approach to community development, and embedding social enterprise within Blackpool Council’s strategy.”

As the company launched, Blackpool Enterprise Centre had just been completed. “We were one of the first tenants here and we’ve never budged.”


Creating a Social Enterprise Town

“We work with charities that want to develop a secure income arm,” says Tony. “We also help organisations develop new strands of their business which operate in the same field but which focus on helping others rather than driving profit. For any organisation looking to do more with their corporate social responsibility, we help create their route map.

“The entire notion of Social Enterprise Places was developed in this office. It’s been taken up nationally by Social Enterprise UK (SEUK), but ironically Blackpool hasn’t yet had the accolade of becoming a Social Enterprise Town, which, a little like being named a Fair Trade town, can help increase focus and funding. We’re hoping that will change very soon.”


Part of the business world

“Any social enterprise has to be sustainable,” Tony stresses. “If it is to deliver real social impact it has to operate as a business first and foremost otherwise you’re dependent on donations and philanthropy. That’s a much less secure way to operate. That’s why we based ourselves in a business hub rather than a charitable one. We had to be located in the same world as other enterprises.”


Why choose the Enterprise Centre?

“We get great help from the business support team here. If we have ideas they always consider them. The meeting rooms and presentation areas are great. We started out running our office and a hot desk facility. and the way we use the centre has grown and developed.

“It's a pleasant environment - a friendly environment. The beauty for us is that we don't have additional bills coming in because it’s an all-embracing rental that covers your lighting, heating and onsite support, so you've got that financial certainty. We've been very happy here.”


The right decision

“It's also an impressive building,” Tony adds. “We receive visits from lots of people of significance that we're working with - National Lottery funders, MPs and representatives from the Cabinet Office. The Enterprise Centre is well positioned, so people can find it. You get a sense of business focus. That works for us. There’s a quote on our website from Peter Holbrook, CEO of SEUK who describes us as ‘responsible thought leaders in the development of the social enterprise sector’. The building does play into that.

“Looking back, it was the right decision to locate ourselves here. It still is the right decision because things are happening within the sector going forward and being here makes it easier to be part of that.”


To find out more about developing the social enterprise element of your business, talk to Social Enterprise Solutions

Find office space in Blackpool from Blackpool Unlimited

 

Related posts

The team at ESS in reception at Blackpool Enterprise Centre

Naomi Armitage – M&A Deal Lead (I’ve just changed roles from the BDM) Stuart Atkinson – Ops Director Elise Mitchell – Marketing Assistant Emma Gregson – Business Development Ian Peacock – Managing Director

June 20, 2025

ESS Driving UK Growth from Blackpool Enterprise Centre


Read more
A view of Blackpool Promenade

Photo credit VisitBlackpool

June 20, 2025

Blackpool ranked third most affordable UK city for small businesses


Read more
Happy, business people or meeting with handshake for promotion, hiring or recruiting at office. Group, employees or shaking hands with candidate for job opportunity, deal or partnership at workplace.
June 13, 2025

What’s Holding You Back? The Hidden Growth Barriers Blackpool Businesses Are Facing in 2025


Read more
Graph Tree: Create an abstract tree made up of lines and graphs that symbolize growth and success. Use different shades of green for the trees and bright yellow and orange elements for the decorations.
May 28, 2025

The Science of Scaling: How to Grow with Proven Strategies  


Read more

Blackpool Growth Business Academy

Business Start Up

Business High Growth

Business Scale Ups

Blackpool Net Zero Business Academy

Net Zero Support

Blackpool Unlimited Supporting You

Climate Change

Privacy Policy

Disclaimer

Accessibility Policy

Blackpool Unlimited Office Services

Office Space

Meeting Rooms

Hybrid Meetings

Virtual Office Space

Virtual Tour

BLACKPOOL COUNCIL LOGO

© 2025 Blackpool Unlimited. All Rights Reserved. Website built by Happy Creative

✕

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Are you in receipt of benefits?*
If yes
Are you self-employed/registered as a business? *
Are you currently in employment? *
Will you require premises for your business? *
Please note no cash grants are available.

Business Support Enquiry

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Meeting Room Enquiry

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}