Wonderful Worksop: STEP Fusion – What it means for Worksop and our community
There’s a big change brewing in our area – not just a project, but a potential transformation for jobs, education, identity and the future of Worksop.
That change is the STEP Fusion programme, and though the site is at West Burton, the ripple effects are very much local to Worksop.
In this blog I’ll walk you through what STEP Fusion is, why it’s important for Worksop, the opportunities and how our community can engage.
What is STEP Fusion?
“STEP” stands for Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production. In short:
- It is a major UK programme to build a prototype fusion energy power plant.
- The site chosen is West Burton (in Bassetlaw, Nottinghamshire) – near Worksop.
- Fusion energy has the potential to provide safe, low-carbon, abundant power for the future.
- A key component of the local dimension is the creation of the Fusion Energy Café in Worksop as a community-engagement space tied to STEP.
Fusion energy is often described as “the power of the stars” the process by which atomic nuclei fuse, releasing vast energy. The STEP programme aims to explore that for commercial electricity generation. Of course it’s a long-term endeavour (the plant is decades away), but the groundwork, skills, infrastructure and community links are happening now.
Why the project matters for Worksop
Here are some of the key ways our town stands to be affected:
Economic boost and jobs
- More jobs and activity are coming to West Burton as STEP Fusion expands and the site is tripling onsite office capacity, bringing engineers, management, rig halls, testing facilities.
- The FAQs for STEP say that thousands of jobs will be created – during construction and into operations – and that jobs won’t just be hyper specialised: engineers, operators, security, hospitality, to name a few.
- The project is aligned with wider strategic ambitions for the district: the local authority’s Vision 2040 mentions STEP as “flagship development in Bassetlaw… turning the 550-acre site into a premier fusion energy and business location”.
Skills, training and community engagement
- The Fusion Energy Café in Worksop was created as a community-engagement and skills hub: interactive displays, guest talks, hosting STEM events, and being open for local community use.
- Bassetlaw District Council documents show they have recruited a “STEP Skills and Engagement Officer” and are working with local schools, colleges including North Notts College, business training to ensure local people are ready for STEP and STEM opportunities.
Town identity and regeneration
- Worksop and the wider Bassetlaw area have a strong industrial heritage (coal, power stations) – STEP offers a transition from “old” industry to “future” industry. That gives local identity a boost.
- The local authority’s strategy emphasises making the district “the greenest and most sustainable” and repositioning it in a net-zero economy. STEP is central to that.
- The community trail and local town-centre events tied to fusion (for example the half-term trail in Worksop Town Centre) show the project isn’t just “far away” – it’s in our high street, our schools, our public spaces.
Real-life community initiatives
To show how STEP is touching our community right now:
- Fusion Energy Café: Located at 9 Bridge Place, Worksop in the The Bridge Skills Hub and opened in November 2024, it is a place for community to meet and learn, hospitality training and STEM engagement and is the world’s first fusion energy cafe.
- Town-Centre Trail Event: During October half term in 2025, the café teamed with Worksop Town Centre shops and the local council to run a “fusion characters” trail across shop windows, encouraging families to explore the town, support local business, and engage with fusion themes.
- Local skills outreach: The council’s internal report shows schools and training providers in the district are being engaged with, and engineering boot-camps are being held at the The Bridge Skills Hub.
These are not just nice extras – they are laying the social infrastructure so the big plant and big jobs can become genuinely local.
What it means for you and for our community
Here’s how different groups in Worksop can benefit:
For young people / students
You’re in a great position. If you’re studying maths, science, engineering, technology, or even hospitality/skills – this project means you might have local opportunities. Fusion energy isn’t just remote “space-science” – there will be local training, local jobs, apprenticeships.
The Skills Outreach means you can start early, build the right skills, and potentially work in your home area rather than moving away.
For local businesses
The STEP programme will impact supply-chains, service-companies, contractors, local hospitality, training providers. If you’re a local business, keep an eye on upcoming procurement, training links, supplier fairs. You could tap into growth, diversification, new clients.
Also, events like the town-centre trail show that the STEP project is keen to involve local business in community engagement, footfall and identity.
For the town and community at large
- Regeneration: Worksop will benefit from increased investment, better infrastructure and possibly more amenities as the area upgrades for STEP.
- Identity: We become part of a global transition – from coal/fossil power heritage to cutting-edge fusion energy. That gives a story for the town and a sense of pride.
- Inclusion: Efforts are being made so it’s not just “technical elite” jobs – hospitality, training for those long-term unemployed, NEET individuals, people with disabilities. The café, for example, explicitly provides placements for those groups.
- Awareness and culture: The science-community interface (fusion, STEM) becomes more visible locally, raising aspirations, engagement, local events, education opportunities.
How you can get involved!
If you’re reading this in Worksop and thinking “What can I do?” – here are some practical steps:
- Visit the Fusion Energy Café (9 Bridge Place, Worksop) – check out events, workshops, book space and engage with the STEM/skills side.
- Stay aware of local outreach/training: Keep an eye on announcements from the local council (Bassetlaw District Council), the café, STEP Fusion websites about upcoming programmes, apprenticeships and supplier events.
- Engage businesses: If you run a business, ask how you can become part of supply chain or community events, or partner in the town-centre initiatives.
- Encourage young people: If you’re a parent, teacher, mentor – talk to young people about STEM, fusion energy, training pathways. This project gives a “local story” to the big science.
- Support town-centre and community events: Participating in trails, events, science fairs helps build momentum, identity, and local buy-in.
And some final thoughts
STEP Fusion is more than just a power-plant; for Worksop it could become a pivot-point. A shift from our industrial past to a future of clean tech, skills, inclusive opportunity. The work’s begun – we see the café, the events, the skills programmes, the supply-chain work. But for real benefit we need the community to stay engaged: Not just as spectators but as active participants.
If you live in Worksop or nearby, this is a story for you. It’s about the future of jobs, the future of local identity, and what our town can become.