On Tuesday 26 April at an event attended by leaders in social finance took place to launch Spacious Place, a unique new community business and employment hub at the heart of Burnley’s historic Weavers’ Triangle.
After a decade of dereliction, Slater Terrace a grade II former cotton mill in the Weavers’ Triangle has been refurbished and is now home to Spacious Place – a thriving work space for local businesses, a meeting space for the community and a new call centre.
The call centre provides employment to 90 people and training and support to help vulnerable local people including some ex-offenders, back into the world of work. Spacious Place used a Power to Change grant of £500,000 to acquire the former cotton mill building and make it ready for business.
The event saw speeches from Hazel Blears, Chair of the Social Investment Business and former Cabinet Minister; Cliff Prior CBE, CEO of Big Society Capital; Nat Sloane CBE, Chairman of Social and Sustainable Capital (SASC) ; Stephen Howard, Chair of Power to Change and Ian Scholes, CEO of Spacious Place. The event was supported by SASC and Power to Change.
Commenting on the launch, Ian Scholes, CEO of Spacious Place said : ‘Just as George Slater built up the mill and provided more than a workplace for its workers, now 150 years on this same building has been brought back to life as a new hub for employment.
‘We want to take people, many who are coming from a place of restriction on a journey to this spacious place where they can build a brighter future.’