Pride of Place: Blackpool - Business in the Community

Pride of Place: Blackpool

By thinking differently and challenging the status quo, we have successfully started to regenerate Blackpool and restore a sense of pride in the town. We continue to develop the economy and tackle deprivation.

Business in the Community’s Place Programme brings together business, civic leadership and communities to create long-term, transformational change in communities. We work with places to build and deliver a vision for their future that serves everyone. We provide sustained resource, advice and support to motivate and empower local stakeholders so that each place can identify its own challenges & innovate its own solutions.

Strategic Priorities

Creating & safeguarding 10,000 jobs & securing £1bn economic growth.

Creating 3,000 new quality homes, underpinning essential regeneration in some of Blackpool’s (and the UK’s) most deprived neighbourhoods.

Increasing employment rates for 16-24-year-olds, supporting them to build essential skills for their futures.

Our impact to date

Established in 2017, the Blackpool  Pride of Place Board has broken down long-standing barriers between communities, businesses and the council.

The board agreed a single vision – the Blackpool Prospectus – and subsequently launched a 2030 Digital Vision.

In 2019 the board supported the town to secure a £39.5 million Town Deal, the largest single town deal awarded.

In 2022, Blackpool was announced as one of the Government’s Levelling Up priority areas, with further transformational developments promised.

“The local economy is so important for all Blackpool residents and BITC provides a pathway for local organisations to all pull in the same direction, using the abundance resource, knowledge and skills that sit within Blackpool.”

avatar

James Cox

Director Marketing Sales & PR – Pleasure Beach Resort 

“The Pride of Place vision is ambitious but achievable because of its unique collaborative approach between the public, private and voluntary sectors.”

avatar

Andy Anderson

Head of R&D – Victrex plc

“I am proud to be involved in Blackpool Pride of Place and be part of delivering programmes that improve opportunities and the sustainability of businesses, people and place within Blackpool.”

avatar

Iain Pilling

Area Engagement Lead – United Utilities 

Case studies from Blackpool

Fylde Coast Town Wide Careers Fair

Nearly 1,500 Year 9 students from 13 Blackpool secondary schools explored their futures at a careers fair hosted by the Fylde Coast Responsible Business Network at Blackpool Conference and Exhibition Centre. Featuring almost 50 employers, including BAE Systems, Beaverbrooks, and DES Energy, the event aimed to showcase the wide array of career opportunities in and around Blackpool, support high aspirations among young people, and encourage them to think about possible routes into work.

Europa Halo Blackpool Esports Event

As part of Blackpool’s Digital Vision, the Digital Steering Group, supported by Blackpool Pride of Place, formed a working group to explore the potential of Esports as an opportunity for the town. The aim was to host a test event, and The Europa Halo event was a significant milestone, showcasing the town’s potential as an emerging Esports destination.

Blackpool Leadership Board

Our work is led by our local Pride of Place Partnerships – a cross-sector senior leadership board which sets the strategic direction for our work, mobilises their workforce to support with delivery of activities and acts as an advocate for the programme both regionally and locally. The Blackpool Leadership Board is chaired by John Fallon.




See our current locations here.

Each BITC Place location has a Pride of Place Board. Through joining a Pride of Place Board, you will contribute to the strategic direction of the place, collaborating with other leaders and leveraging expertise and resource from within your organisation.

BITC defines place-making as long-term and transformational change in a particular geographic location. For us, it is underpinned by some core principles: 

  • Collaboration – bringing together business, public and VCSE sectors
  • Business leadership – senior business leaders working together on a shared agenda
  • Community-needs-led: based on the priorities and needs of the Place, as defined by the people in the place.