40 years of Phoenix: Inside the non-profit that has changed thousands of lives

Phoenix Enterprise Centre Marks 40 Years of Transforming Lives in Cleator Moor
A West Cumbrian non profit is celebrating four decades of supporting businesses and residents, having grown from a small workspace initiative into one of Cleator Moor’s most vital community assets.
Founded in 1985 in response to the economic decline caused by the Co operative Society leaving the town, Phoenix Enterprise Centre (PEC) now provides both affordable workspaces for start ups and lifeline support for residents in need.
Executive director Joanne Crowe, who grew up just yards from the centre and has worked there for 22 years, said PEC has become the “entrepreneurial and community heart” of the town. The organisation offers simple, low cost, “easy in, easy out” rentals starting from £35 a week, helping hundreds of businesses start and grow, from artisans to contractors working on national nuclear projects.
Today PEC is fully occupied, with demand so high that refurbished and additional buildings are planned, including a £1.7 million upgrade funded through the Cleator Moor Town Deal.
Over the years, the centre has supported long term tenants like Sawh Electronics, helped launch thriving businesses such as Lakeland Lights Co. and Storm Interior Systems, and even witnessed new enterprises emerge during Covid at a time when many shut down elsewhere.
Alongside its business services, PEC runs vital community programmes offering job seeking support, digital access, benefit advice and emergency food. Its Digital Access, Advice, Food and Support (DAAFS) project has helped around 1,500 people in three years, moved 200 into work, and provided food to more than 1,800 people in financial distress.
The centre’s pandemic created food pantry continues to be heavily relied upon, though funding uncertainty means it will operate with fewer staff from September.
One success story involves a young man who overcame household benefit barriers, secured work, moved out, and is now thriving in the police service with a family of his own. Joanne describes his journey as proof of PEC’s power to break the “cycle of deprivation.”
Looking ahead, PEC hopes to expand workspace capacity, align with future devolution priorities, and raise its profile beyond being “West Cumbria’s best kept secret.” A social return evaluation found that for every £1 invested, PEC delivers £17 of value to the community. Supporters say the model could be replicated elsewhere.