Blackpool announce new principal community partners- with both already committed to projects in the town

Nationwide placemaker, Muse, and contractor VINCI Building have signed an agreement for both the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons.

Both organisations are already committed to a number of projects in the town, and their branding will now appear on all Community Trust staff uniforms as well as Blackpool FC Sports College football kits over the course of the next two years.

Muse is currently working with Blackpool Council to deliver the £350m regeneration of Talbot Gateway, which is repositioning a key area of the town centre as an exciting new commercial and leisure quarter.

Currently, the team is on site with a new £100m, 215,000 sq ft, highly-sustainable office building, which will become a new regional home for the Civil Service in Blackpool town centre, for which VINCI Building is the principal contractor.

Once complete the new building will house 2,500 civil servants.

The long-standing partnership between Muse and Blackpool Council has already delivered the 125,000 sq ft Number One Bickerstaffe Square council office, a Sainsbury’s supermarket, a refurbished 650-space multi-storey car park, alongside extensive public spaces for the community to enjoy.

The team is also close to completing a 144-bedroom Holiday Inn hotel and new tram interchange.

Alan McBride, technical director at Muse, said: “Supporting local communities through our work is one of our key drivers as a business and we’re excited to launch our new partnership with Blackpool FC’s Community Trust, alongside our contractor, VINCI Building.

“Regeneration isn’t just about bricks and mortar, it’s about delivering a meaningful impact and leaving a long-term positive legacy that benefits everyone.

“To accelerate this, we partner with local organisations, like the Community Trust, that are already integrated within our towns and cities.

“We’re looking forward to working with our new partners over the next two years, providing a wealth of opportunities for local people to thrive."

John Roberts, managing director at VINCI Building added: “We welcome the opportunity to support Blackpool Football Club Community Trust in partnership with Muse, strengthening our ties with the people of Blackpool and the wider Fylde Coast region.

“Our involvement with Blackpool goes back over ten years. We have also created a Community Skills Centre on the Talbot Road project site to support employment into the construction industry for Blackpool."

The significant investment of the partnership will help to aid the Community Trust’s ongoing work even further, with over 17,000 individuals reached during 22/23.

“With funding becoming a greater challenge year-on-year for charities, support like this partnership with Muse and VINCI Building is fantastic and a great way to build new partnerships,” said CEO Ash Hackett.

“What became clear at the start of our conversations was how enthusiastic and committed both parties were to support the town and help make a difference to our community.

“We’re really excited to work closely with both Muse and VINCI Building over the course of the next two seasons.”

Blackpool have also announced the continuation of Tower Insurance Brokers as an official partner and sponsor for the 23/24 season.