BEC appoints café manager for LEVELS hub in Whitehaven
LEVELS is being launched in the former Whittles furniture store in Whitehaven town centre and is due to open in late 2025.
The £4.1 million redevelopment initiative is designed to create new opportunities around digital and creative careers by bringing esports, virtual reality, immersive education and training, and a vibrant social café experience to the heart of the community.
As a local social enterprise champion and founder of Calderwood Coffee, Louise brings a unique blend of entrepreneurial spirit, lived experience, and a community-focused approach.
Her coffee venture, developed in partnership with Time to Change West Cumbria, sources ethically traded beans that are roasted locally by Shiloh Coffee Roasters. All profits are reinvested into supporting individuals affected by homelessness and poverty in the region.
Louise is excited about the future, she said: 'LEVELS café will be focused on local flavour and local impact. We'll be serving up fantastic food and beverages from local suppliers, alongside my unique Calderwood Coffee, which proudly supports a local not-for-profit organisation. It's more than just a café; it's a place for connection and community and is part of such an exciting development.
'Time to Change was there when I needed them; launching Calderwood Coffee was my way of giving back. I'm looking forward to being part of the BEC team and bringing people together in the centre of Whitehaven - whether gamers, families, or professionals.'
Louise will create a vibrant atmosphere in the café, situated on the ground floor, which will offer local produce and provide guests with the opportunity to observe gaming and VR demos and e-sports tournaments through spacious viewing areas and screens.
Michael Pemberton, chief executive of BEC, added: 'We're thrilled to welcome Louise to the LEVELS team. Her enthusiasm and commitment align with LEVELS' mission to ignite community connection in Whitehaven.
'This development will be one-of-a-kind and will be a strong signal that BEC, our partners and West Cumbria are serious about the future, our young people and regeneration.'
LEVELS sits in the Grade II-listed building on Duke Street and is funded by Sellafield Ltd SiX, as well as BT and BEC themselves. The hub will feature an esports arena, VR and immersive zones, editing and recording studios, and digital training spaces for schools, colleges, and the wider community.
BEC specialises in regenerating landmark sites for the benefit of the community and the local economy.
LEVELS is a cornerstone of BEC's broader vision to inspire future generations and regenerate West Cumbria.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Range Rover Has a Funky New Secondary Logo and a Pattern to Match
Jaguar , now JLR, has a funky new logo for Range Rover to help distinguish the brand as part of JLR's recent House of Brands strategy. The new logo features stacked and mirrored Rs, with the brand also showing a new checker pattern built up of Range Rover Rs in interlocking circles. Don't be alarmed, as the brand told it won't replace the script logo found on the front and rear of every model. JLR is sporting a new logo for its Range Rover brand, now that it can't exist as a sub-brand under Land Rover. Autocar broke the news, spotting the logo in a recent JLR investor presentation. The new logo features a set of stacked and mirrored Rs in the brand's typical script. Jaguar previously revealed its new minimalist set of logos, including a typeface that mixes uppercase and lowercase letters, but we're still waiting for dedicated rebrands for the Discovery and Defender SUVs. The brand also revealed what it is calling the "Range Rover Pattern," which is effectively a new checker pattern of interlocking and rotated Range Rover Rs. The automaker hasn't announced how it plans to use the new pattern, but we wouldn't be surprised to find it in future Range Rover front ends, or as part of the upholstery of future models. The new logo and motif aren't intended to replace the "Range Rover" script badging on the front and rear of every model. "The Range Rover Motif has been developed as a smaller symbol for where our familiar Range Rover device mark does not fit, such as on a label or as part of a repeating pattern, and within event spaces where an emblem is more appropriate," a JLR spokesperson confirmed to Car and Driver. You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Manchester United hope new stadium will host 2035 World Cup final, aim to finish project in 5 to 6 years
Manchester United hope for their new stadium to host the 2035 women's World Cup final and aim for its development to be complete in the next five to six years. United announced plans in March to build a new 100,000 capacity stadium, replacing their 115-year Old Trafford home. The cost of the project is forecast to reach £2billion ($2.59bn). Advertisement The 2035 World Cup will be held across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Tournament stadiums have not yet been confirmed, though United hope to be one of the selected venues and hold the ambition to host the final. Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham announced a 10-year growth plan for the area on Wednesday as part of the intent to build the stadium and carry out a wider regeneration programme in the city. The appointment of Lord Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics and former chairman of the British Olympic Association, as chair-designate of the Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) for the project was also announced. 'Throughout my career, I've seen the difference that sports-led regeneration can make in fostering strong communities and acting as a catalyst for economic growth,' said Coe. 'That was certainly true of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics – and now, I believe, Greater Manchester's moment has come. 'Working with Trafford Council and the Mayor, there's huge potential to bring new homes and jobs to the area around the Manchester United stadium. And looking ahead, I see a chance to bring the FIFA Women's World Cup to a new Old Trafford Stadium in 2035. The home nations are the sole bidder, which presents a rare opportunity to bid to host the global football family.' The 2035 World Cup will mark the second time that the tournament is contested by 48 teams after the 2031 edition, which will be hosted by the United States and Mexico. A survey of United supporters last year identified that 52 per cent of fans asked were in favour of building a new stadium from scratch, while 31 per cent preferred to see Old Trafford redeveloped. London-based architecture firm Fosters + Partners selected will lead the project. The company revealed digital renders of the stadium in March, which included a three-pronged stadium canopy inspired by the Red Devils trident on the club's badge. Advertisement United said in a press release in March that the project has the potential to generate an additional £7.3billion ($9.7bn) for the local economy, create 92,000 job opportunities, build more than 17,000 new homes, as well as drive an additional 1.8 million visitors annually. The stadium project comes at a tumultuous time at United after finishing 15th in the Premier League and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur. Ticket prices have increased for next season to the disapproval of supporters' groups and hundreds of staff members have been made redundant after cost-cutting measures implemented by part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Reform-led council to announce ‘first big savings' after Farage visit
The largest Reform-led council is due to unveil its 'first big savings' from cost-cutting initiatives as opposition parties complain of 'poor governance' during their first two months in power. Earlier this week, Reform party leader Nigel Farage visited Kent County Council (KCC) headquarters in Maidstone and promised announcements at the full council meeting on Thursday. Last month, Reform UK launched a Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) initiative to cut council spending after taking 677 seats at the local elections on May 1. The party said it plans to use artificial intelligence, advanced data analysis tools and forensic auditing techniques to 'identify wasteful spending and recommend actionable solutions'. It follows the US Doge which was launched during Donald Trump's presidency to cut federal spending which billionaire Elon Musk spearheaded before his departure. On Monday, speaking to the PA news agency in Kent, Mr Farage said: 'We've established a cabinet, we've got a first big full council meeting this Thursday at which our first big savings will be announced.' However, KCC opposition leader Liberal Democrat Antony Hook said that 'no key decisions have been taken' by Reform and that most committees are yet to meet. The Conservatives have called for an information watchdog to regulate Reform's cost-cutting drive due to the data protection risks involved. Shadow communities secretary Kevin Hollinrake warned that handing the data to Reform is a 'cyber-security disaster waiting to happen' as he wrote to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) calling for an investigation. KCC's Reform leader Linden Kemkaran said that a 'legal framework' is being drawn up to ensure the Doge project works within data protection rules. 'The councillors have been elected to be here in Kent County Council, we have jurisdiction to do stuff, we can pull data, we can look at figures, we can go through everything – head office doesn't,' she said. She added: 'They're ready and waiting, they're just waiting for our call saying 'we're ready come in' but until that legal framework is drawn up to everyone's satisfaction we're just carrying on with our own internal work.' Despite the absence of the head-office Doge project, Ms Kemkaran maintained that she will be announcing savings on Thursday including a vote on a cut to councillors' allowances. By population, KCC is the largest local authority in England and Mr Farage's Reform party took 57 of the 81 seats in the elections on May 1. Prior to their victory the council had been controlled by the Conservatives for 28 years. Critics of the Reform-led authority have pointed to a lack of council meetings and conflicting announcements made via social media. Last week, Ms Kemkaran and a member of her cabinet announced on social media that transgender-related books were to be removed from libraries across the county after receiving a report from a member of the public. It was later revealed that no such books were in the children's section of Kent libraries, but instead one related book was on a welcome stand in Herne Bay. KCC then issued a statement that the announcements were not a change of policy, but rather reiterating an instruction to the 99 libraries under their control. Labour MP for Chatham and Aylesford Tristian Osbourne told the BBC the alleged removal of the books was 'unedifying gender-baiting of the LGBT community'. On Monday, Ms Kemkaran defended the announcements, saying: 'It was a completely valid point to make, it was a completely valid question to ask because I think we've seen a lack of child safeguarding,' Mr Hook said: 'The committee that would deal with library issues met on Tuesday. No mention of this issue but instead they hit up social media on Thursday. It's such poor governance.' The council meeting begins at Sessions House in Maidstone at 10am on Thursday.
