Written by Charlie Daw
- Amount Funded: £20,000
- Contact: [email protected]
- Areas: Pemberton
Wigan Borough Community First (WBCF) is pleased to announce that Black Scorpion Community Wellbeing C.I.C has been awarded funding through the Thrive in Five programme.
Black Scorpion CIC has supported communities in Wigan for over twelve years, growing from a karate club into a welcoming space for families and individuals. From its Community Hub in Pemberton, alongside satellite venues in Rainhill and St Helens, the organisation delivers karate classes and a range of family-focused activities, including HAF holiday camps, SEND support, Pokémon Club, Karate Mums, Home-Ed sessions, movie nights and seasonal events.
The organisation supports people of all ages, with a particular focus on families and neurodivergent people who may experience isolation or barriers to taking part in community activities. Shaped by lived and professional experience, Black Scorpion CIC aims to create welcoming opportunities where people can connect, take part and develop a sense of belonging.
What is Thrive In Five?
Thrive in Five was created to support new, creative and community-led approaches to improving mental wellbeing across Wigan Borough. WBCF is working closely with Public Health at Wigan Council, who commissioned the programme, and Edge Hill University, who will support the evaluation of its impact.
The programme provides awards of £20,000 to voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations to deliver wellbeing-focused activity for people of all ages and backgrounds. Alongside the funded projects, successful organisations will take part in a Wellbeing Circle, creating an opportunity to share insight, learn from one another and strengthen collaboration across the sector.
Through this approach, Thrive in Five aims to support local wellbeing activity while building the relationships, knowledge and capacity needed to develop sustainable, community-led support across the Borough.
About Black Scorpion Community Wellbeing C.I.C
Through its Thrive in Five-funded project, Black Scorpion CIC will deliver two connected strands of community-led mental wellbeing work from its Community Hub in Pemberton, focusing on family support and neurodivergent inclusion.
The first strand will strengthen the organisation’s Pokémon Club, supporting children, including many who are neurodivergent, while creating informal peer support for parents and carers. The project will introduce a more accessible pay-as-you-feel model alongside dedicated staffing and sensory-aware resources.
The second strand will introduce a weekly Dads Wellbeing Group with Bean Better CIC, offering low-pressure activities including walks, coffee, movement, outings and shared meals for dads, father figures and male carers. Both strands will be shaped by participants, with opportunities for people to move from attending activities to contributing and co-leading.
The project aims to build sustainable peer communities where movement, creativity and connection can support mental wellbeing. Learning from the project will also be shared through the Thrive in Five Wellbeing Circle, helping contribute to wider understanding of community-led approaches to wellbeing.
For more information about Black Scorpion Community Wellbeing C.I.C or its Thrive in Five project, contact [email protected] or visit blackscorpionkarate.co.uk.
Get Involved
You can see more Thrive In Five work through the button below…