Opening time for Burnley co-working space and its pub

Burnley is set to become home to an office and co-working space with a difference – one with its own traditional British pub inside.

The new space, within the regenerated Victorian-era weavers’ shed and cottages at Slater Terrace, is being created by social entrepreneur Dave Scholes and his Burnley-based community interest company Six Connections.

It has been designed to focus on wellbeing and bringing people together for positive conversations around mental health.

As well providing serviced office and meeting space that local business can use, it will also provide Six Connections with its first permanent home, enabling it to deliver mental health and wellbeing training courses in its own environment, not just at client or off-site premises.

It will also feature a new pub-style social space – to be named Carter’s after Dave’s late friend Ian Carter – that will be used both as a social space for co-working members and to host events, comedy nights, quizzes and other functions.

Explaining the ethos behind the new venture, Dave said: “We wanted to create a space for ourselves and other like-minded businesses and people, but we didn’t want it to be a typical co-working space that you can find anywhere – we wanted to do it the Burnley way.

“This is a unique concept and, as far as I know, the only co-working space in the country where the primary focus is on employee and personal wellbeing.

“We’re creating a properly licensed pub within the building, but like most conversations around mental health, it’s very much environment driven, rather than just being beer driven.

“We tend to be more likely to open up about the way we’re feeling, or to ask mates how they are doing in environments like the pub or a café and that’s where the idea came from.”

Dave added: “Most people are familiar with the hidden speakeasies during prohibition in America. We’re creating a ‘speak easier’ – a bar where the conversations aren’t hidden.

“The space is designed for people to feel comfortable in conversation, whether that is to celebrate something positive or just to unload the thoughts and worries of the day. This is our community of care.”

The co-working space, and the pub inside it, will be ready for their official launch in September, but 10 business members have already signed up to use the space when it opens.

Dave has had help on his plans for the pub from local independent brewing business Moorhouse’s. He has also received support from Lancashire law firm Harrison Drury which has advised him on obtaining a premises licence.