We started out back in 2011 as a group of friends who wanted something fun, affordable and social to do. There were very few ways to meet new people that didn’t involve going to a pub or a bar. So we raided our attics, scoured our wardrobes and went off to a car boot sale to raise £30 for our very first workshop.

Since then, we’ve done all manner of lovely activities and reaching thousands of local people. In the past, we’ve received funding from a variety of sources such as Arts Council England, Blackpool Council, British Film Institute, Richmond Fellowship, Leftcoast, Street to Scale and EU Youth Initiatives, but we receive no regular funding.

Grant funding is not the majority of our income. We really believe in sustainability and work hard to earn our own income through workshop delivery, research and creative retail sales; making sure that projects can pay for themselves or each-other.

Fast forward to 2025 and we now have a variety of projects on the go as well as online arts and culture magazine Blackpool Social Club and the Blackpool Film Festival. We’re still volunteer-led and we are super proud of all our helpers who help us put on events and activities to a professional standard.

We’re led by people who identify as traditionally marginalised members of the community. It follows that we’re strong advocates of social justice and run ongoing projects that centre and uplift the voices of others who are marginalised, namely LGBTQIA+ people, women and people of the Global Ethnic Majority. Our projects not only raise awareness of current issues, but often go on to raise funds and resources for local support services. We are active campaigners, often supporting people into civic engagement and participation around issues such as climate change and the harassment of women in public spaces.