Providing educational courses for disadvantaged women
From information from Blackburne House
Liverpool social enterprise, Blackburne House has a mission to provide high-quality education and training opportunities that empower disadvantaged women, enabling them to unlock their full potential.
They recognise that learning is about more than qualifications. It’s about unlocking confidence, independence, and opportunity. Independent analysis shows their work in 2023/24 generated an incredible Social Return on Investment of £1:£24.45, equating to £2.1 million in social value for the city and savings to the public purse. The social value is made up of; progression to employment, reduced social isolation, reduced indebtedness, improved confidence, sustained employment, local advice.
The Blackburne House diverse curriculum caters to a wide range of career aspirations including; Teacher Training, Healthcare, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), GCSE and Functional Skills in English and Maths, etc.
They ensure learners feel comfortable in a women only learning environment, have flexible learning hours to manage the family and cultural expectations upon them and they can access wrap around support provided on site including childcare and wellbeing support.
Students report a growing sense of independence, welcome the chance to meet and make new friends and connections giving them the chance to build a network of support, a pride in their achievements and excitement at the opportunities their learning and qualifications offer.
Take the story of Ellie-Mae Mulry. Ellie-Mae enrolled on the Access to Healthcare Professions course in 2018. She initially had little confidence in herself, and was worried about juggling her course with supporting her daughter as a single mum. She was able to find support at Blackburne House and balanced studying with motherhood and working in Blackburne House Bistro. Upon completing her course, Ellie-Mae was accepted to study Psychology at Edge Hill University. She has excelled in her studies and her confidence and is now studying a Masters degree in Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Lauren McCall enrolled at Blackburne House to complete her Maths and English GCSEs, and was soon inspired to enrol on the Certificate in Creative Arts. Here, she found her passion for painting and started her own business selling custom made canvas art. After graduating from Blackburne House, Lauren undertook further study in Art and Design before doing an apprenticeship in Content Production. Her apprenticeship led to a full time job in Social Media and Marketing, and she is progressing in her career and looking forward to expanding her role with a team of her own.
Over the 15 months, Sept 2023 - Nov 2024, Blackburne House supported 522 learners:
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20 progressed into employment
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329 progressed to further education
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261 experienced reduced social isolation
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All had improved self confidence
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40 experienced reduced indebtedness.
Andrea Rushton, CEO of Blackburne House, says: “Women feel safe when they come in here, we've ensured that they're safe. So we have probably between 500 and 700 women every academic year. We know from last academic year, there were 70 nationalities represented, countless languages spoken on the corridors. So having that safe and culturally sensitive environment is essential.”
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From information from Blackburne House, 29/04/2026