FOLLOWING public consultation, Whitehaven's new £4.1m digital and gaming hub has been named ‘LEVELS’. 

Social impact property developers BEC will develop the LEVELS hub in the former Whittles department store, which is currently empty, on Duke Street in Whitehaven town centre.  

Work on the grade-two listed building is scheduled to be complete towards the end of summer next year.

According to BEC, the chosen name reflects both the building's design and the educational opportunities it will offer.

The hub will operate over three floors, offer gaming and VR spaces (levels in games) and sound studios (audio levels), and provide those attending digital workshops with the opportunity to ‘level’ up their skills. 

Read more: £4million secured for digital and gaming hub in former furniture store

LEVELS will have its own cafe and meeting areas, offering space for people to relax and enjoy refreshments. 

It's been said the name proved a trendy suggestion throughout the consultation process, which involved stakeholders as well as the public. 

Michael Pemberton, CEO of BEC, said:  “We are so excited to announce that Whitehaven’s digital and gaming hub will be called LEVELS, the first of its kind in the region. 

“The name emerged from our public consultations, and we believe it perfectly captures the feedback from the local community.  

“The LEVELS name is relevant not only to the building itself but also reflects the journey young people will experience as they move through its levels—skill-wise, gaming-wise, and much more.

"It’s a bold and creative choice that embodies what this building will be and how it will be used and adopted by so many," he said. 

Funding for the £4.1m redevelopment programme will come from several sources, £2.8m from Sellafield Ltd’s Social Impact Multiplied (SiX) scheme, £800k from BT, and £485k from BEC themselves. 

Eirini Etoimou, head of corporate sustainability & supply chain development for Sellafield Ltd, said: “We’re excited to see the progress this transformational project is making. 

  “LEVELS is a great name that reflects the potential of the building to help young people power up their careers and life chances in one of the biggest growth areas of our future economy. 

  “Our support for the project demonstrates our commitment to driving additional social value with our suppliers BT and ATOS, consistent with our Social Impact Multiplied strategy.” 

Construction on the former  Whittles department store will begin in mid-October.