About our Charity

Empowerment is an innovative charity based in Blackpool, which has made a long term commitment to supporting our local communities and improving lives. In 2017, Empowerment decided that its future was to be that of a locally based charity serving marginalised communities in Blackpool and the Fylde Coast. We also reduced the size of the charity and sought to recruit locally based people so that we can become a highly trusted charity working alongside our local communities.

We have a strong and stable Board of Trustees, which is highly experienced as a body of people, an inspiring leadership team and staff members who are exemplary in their passion to support people on the margins of society to reach their potential.

We are a ‘User-Led’ charity with service user representation on our Board of Trustees, a range of opportunities whereby service users shape and develop our services and the facilitation of user groups, to ensure their voice is heard by the key decision makers and providers of services in our local community.

Our Services

We support people with a whole host of issues, concerns and needs, empowering them to have a voice, choice and control over their own lives by offering independent advocacy and support. This is a brief overview of what we do:

Blackpool Advocacy Hub

Providing a single point of access for all of Blackpool’s advocacy provision including:

• Independent Mental Health Advocacy
• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy
• Health Complaints Advocacy
• Children’s Advocacy
• Non-Statutory Advocacy
• Paid Relevant Persons Representative
• Care Act Advocacy

The Den

Children’s IDVA -Supporting children and young people affected by domestic abuse either in their family unit or within their own relationships.

Fulfilling Lives – Lived Experience Team and Volunteer Co-ordination

Providing opportunities for people with ‘Lived Experience’ of Multiple & Complex Needs, including mental health, homelessness, substance misuse and offending behaviour. The opportunities include volunteering roles and to                  co-produce the service design and commissioning of future services.

Healthwatch Blackpool

Providing opportunities for all members of the public in Blackpool to have their voices heard relating to the delivery of health and social care services.

Peer4u

PEER 4 U, is a ground breaking initiative to tackle head on the loneliness and social isolation experienced by people in Blackpool by with a history of homelessness, mental illness, offending and substance misuse.

BESS – Blackpool Empowering Social Support

The aim of BESS is to support those who are socially isolated and lonely in Blackpool on a one to one basis, to help reduce demand on NHS services and increase community rehabilitation and engage with residents of Blackpool to educate, inspire and empower a social change locally.

Blackpool Time to Change Hub

Time to Change is a growing movement of people changing how we all think and act about mental health problems. Blackpool faces significant issues around mental health and reducing the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness is a key part of Blackpool Council’s Public Mental Health Action Plan 2016-19.

Motivate2

A new advocacy project empowering people with personal experence of mental health and/or complex needs and giving them the opportunity to use their knowledge to advocate for other people accessing advocacy services.

We are local!

Empowerment is proud of its Blackpool heritage and remains committed to serving our local communities in the future. Being a local charity means that we are known and trusted and have a long term commitment to the people of Blackpool and the Fylde Coast.

Most of our staff live in Blackpool and the Fylde Coast and as part of our social value commitment we strive to only use local businesses and contractors so as to support the local economy and keep the Blackpool ‘Pound’ in Blackpool!

Empowerment is kindly funded by:

Our Pledges and Accreditations

Contact us today! Tel: 0300 32 32 100

Local rate call fees apply.