Our Charity
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 core values are:
- Positivity
- Patience
- Respect
Our mission is to empower people to feel:
- Safe
- Supported
- Strengthened
Meet the Team

Mike Crowther
Chief Executive Officer

Louise Goldstone
Support Services Manager

Kevin Glossop
Quality & Performance Lead

Kerrie Fawcett
Domestic Abuse Manager

Adele Holloway
The Den Senior Practitioner

Diana Evans
Blackpool Advocacy Hub Manager

Nicola Plumb
Fulfilling Lives LET Manager

Sheralee Turner-Birchall
Engagement Manager

Georgina Kidd
Senior Independent Advocate
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.
Service User Groups
Facilitating two service user groups:
- Speak Out Forum– For people with Learning Disabilities, to empower them to have a voice and choice regarding the services which are provided to them.
- P.I.E.R Forum – To provide opportunities for people with experience of mental health issues to have their say on future service provision.
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!
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Louise Goldstone
Support Services Manager
Louise, currently line manage the Support Services Team, including volunteers, to ensure the smooth running of the organisation so that each service receives the support it needs to enable the essential front line work to take place effectively.
Other duties include overseeing quality and performance, information governance lead, finance, health and safety and I am also the Secretary to the Board of Trustees.
Support Services
Empowerment’s Support Services Team is essential to our success as a charity and is the key to us being a well organised and efficiently run organisation. The team led by Louise Goldstone is responsible for:
- Finance
- Health and Safety
- Payroll
- Administration
- Premises
- Quality Assurance
- Performance Monitoring
We would not be able to deliver the fantastic services we do without all the functions provided by our Support Services Team.
Empowerment is kindly funded by:







Contact us today! Tel: 0300 32 32 100
Local rate call fees apply.
