Fylde community and wellbeing hub off to a flying start after Boost support

A Fylde-based health and wellbeing service has successfully registered as a Community Interest Company and created a local networking group for similar businesses after receiving helpful advice and support from Boost; Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub.

The Fylde Wellbeing Hub provides residents with a wide range of health and wellbeing services. Founder Mary Curtis’s vision for the hub is to offer a central location for holistic and healing services delivered by a group of therapy specialists.

Services at the hub include hypnotherapy, psychotherapy and life-coaching, reiki healing, massage, reflexology, bereavement groups, homeopathy, naturopathy, meditation and wellbeing workshops. 

The hub also operates a local health food shop in St Annes that provides free consultations and advice on the use of supplements for a wide range of issues from mental illness, sleep disorders, menopause to colds, flu, immunity, headaches and joint pain. It also offers interactive groups for Tai Chi and Bowen therapy, as well as end of life advice, wellbeing talks and personal development groups.

With a vision to make it into a community-wide and reliable service, Mary sought advice and support to help her incorporate the business into a Community Interest Company (CIC). A CIC is a limited company, with special additional features, created for the use of people who want to conduct a business or other activity for community benefit, and not purely for private advantage.

Being new to the area and keen to learn more about Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) in the Fylde and Blackpool areas, Mary also aspires to create a collaborative group and network for the VCFSE sector. She contacted Boost for further advice.

Mary said: “I needed help and professional advice after moving to the Fylde area from Penwortham, near Preston. I contacted Boost for advice.”

After discussing her plans with the Boost Business Advice service, Mary joined Boost’s Flying Start programme and received one-to-one support and email support from Boost business adviser Tony Carr.

Tony is an accomplished speaker on the social enterprise economy and is currently the managing director of Social Enterprise Solutions (UK) CIC. He was awarded Social Enterprise Champion of Lancashire 2021. As a Boost Flying Start business adviser, Tony’s goal is to help create a vibrant social enterprise economy in Lancashire by helping pre-starts and startups grow and develop their businesses working in this sector.

Boost’s Flying Start service is for early-stage businesses and aspiring individuals with a great business idea. The service focuses on building business and financial acumen and the core skills to establish a new business and drive sustainable growth.

Boost adviser Tony worked through the complexities of a CIC incorporation with Mary. With his support, Fylde Wellbeing Hub has now become a CIC and is registered at Companies House. 

Before joining the Boost Flying Pre-Start programme, Mary had no experience of completing funding bids, nor how to approach them. Tony provided advice and guidance on the how to complete a funding application, highlighting the importance of not relying on grants as sole income and that CIC startups like Mary’s need to seek additional income streams and grasp other opportunities wherever possible. She submitted her first ever funding application in December 2024.

The Boost team also introduced Mary to a bi-monthly meeting of the VCFSE sector in the Fylde that she now regularly attends. She uses the meetings for networking and sharing ideas for possible partnership ventures in the future.

To gain a further understanding of marketing and business development, Mary joined Boost’s Flying Start social media workshops and finance training, as well as a workshop to learn more about the use of artificial intelligence, these have helped her to adapt her business ideas and to attract new markets.

Mary is also in discussions which are ongoing, for further grant funding applications for the hub.

On receiving the Boost support, Mary said “Thank you beyond words for your endearing support. Without Boost I can’t fulfil my life’s work and my passion is making a difference in people’s lives. Tony and the Boost team have been incredibly supportive. I’ve since recommended several people to contact and connect with Boost to assist moving forward practically and inspirationally.”

Mary is pictured above on a recent wellbeing trip to Bali, seated with Bape Mangku, her Balinese teacher, and a High Priest, chatting about healing the world.