Wellbeing focused co-working space with its own pub in Burnley set for launch

By Rob Kelly

18 Jul 2025

Dave Scholes and Malcolm Ireland

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 local 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.

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, with whom Six Connections previously partnered with on its limited edition ‘Ask Twice’ ale, which was sold in local Wetherpoons pubs and encouraged people to ask how friends were feeling.

Dave has also received support from Lancashire law firm Harrison Drury which has advised him on obtaining a premises licence.

Malcolm Ireland, partner and head of the leisure and licensing team at Harrison Drury, said: “Anyone who meets Dave and hears the Six Connections story can’t fail to be inspired by it. What Dave and his team have done for people through Six Connections and the Powered by Mates initiative is incredible.

“We’re proud to have supported Dave to make his vision possible. Having a licence gives Dave and his community interest company the flexibility to do different things with the space, opening up additional revenue streams by being able to hire out the space for all sorts of events and training days.

"In turn, this will enable them to help more people towards better mental health.”

Dave started Six Connections in 2021 inspired by his own journey to overcome mental health struggles following the death of his close friend Ian Carter.

Dave and Ian had become “friends for life” after meeting 20 years earlier at Lancaster University where the outgoing and gregarious Ian had helped Dave to adjust to life away from home. Ian took his own life in 2011.

“I struggled for many years, hiding from how I really felt for a long time,” adds Dave. “It wasn’t easy, but with the support of the people around me, I started to talk more openly about how I was really doing, usually over a brew or a beer.

“I thought that if I could work through this, then others could too. I wasn’t an expert, but with time and the right direction, I knew that, like me, everyone could learn more about managing their own mental health, what expert advice is available and what genuinely supporting others looks like.”

Enjoyed this? Read more from Rob Kelly

Latest news

1

University of Lancashire recognised for entrepreneurship and supporting business growth - Representatives from the University's Business School, local SMEs and the IOEE

University of Lancashire recognised for entrepreneurship and supporting business growth

29 Oct 2025

2

£8bn Typhoon order is great news for Lancashire BAE Typhoon ECRS Mk2 Radar

£8bn Typhoon order is great news for Lancashire

28 Oct 2025

3

Award-winning Lancashire wedding venue and hotel is sold The Mill at Conder Green

Award-winning Lancashire wedding venue and hotel is sold

28 Oct 2025

4

PM+M announces another 19 promotions across the firm PM+M promotions

PM+M announces another 19 promotions across the firm

27 Oct 2025

5

Celebrating 20 years of connecting the county LBV 20 Celebration Guests

Celebrating 20 years of connecting the county

27 Oct 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
November / December 2025 Magazine Launch Event
Holiday Inn Hotel
Networking
28 Oct 2025 - 18 Nov 2025

November / December 2025 Magazine Launch Event

Holiday Inn, Blackpool

16:46 - 16:45

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

Help to grow management course
Help to grow - barriers to growth.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
26 Sep 2025 - 16 Dec 2025

Help to grow management course

Preston Campus , Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 15:00

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 09 Jan 2026

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre

The Small Business Academy, Blackpool, FY4 5JX

09:30 - 15:30

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women
thumbnail_Emma Weston Illustration WENDY BOWERS RISE Illustrstion.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 18 Mar 2026

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women

East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Clayton le Moors, BB5 5JR

09:30 - 15:30

Lancaster District Business Support Expo
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
29 Oct 2025 - 29 Oct 2025

Lancaster District Business Support Expo

The Platform, Morecambe, LA4 4DB

10:00 - 15:00

Chamber Breakfast Networking – November
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
06 Nov 2025 - 06 Nov 2025

Chamber Breakfast Networking – November

Porsche Centre South Lakes, Carnforth, LA6 1FW

08:30 - 10:30

Lancashire Police business update with The Police and Crime Commissioner
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Roundtables
10 Nov 2025 - 10 Nov 2025

Lancashire Police business update with The Police and Crime Commissioner

Lancaster Castle, Lancaster, LA1 1YN

14:00 - 16:00

AI, Creativity, and what it means to be human
2.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
11 Nov 2025 - 11 Nov 2025

AI, Creativity, and what it means to be human

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 20:00

Beyond the Brand: Building trust through values and integrity
1.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
11 Nov 2025 - 11 Nov 2025

Beyond the Brand: Building trust through values and integrity

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 20:00

The Business Network Central and East Lancashire
LBV Hub Networking
13 Nov 2025 - 13 Nov 2025

The Business Network Central and East Lancashire

Stanley House, Blackburn, BB2 7NP

11:30 - 14:15

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV124 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin