One of the area's most iconic buildings is set for a Hollywood moment with the confirmation of £500,000 funding for major improvements.
The grant to the Roxy Collective in Ulverston has been approved by Borderlands Place Board and Investment Panel.
The Roxy project is part of Ulverston's Borderlands-funded Town Investment Plan, overseen by an Ulverston Town Team made up of representatives from Ulverston Town Council, Westmorland and Furness Council, Barrow and Furness MP Michelle Scrogham, education, health, business and retail, chaired by Jayne Moorby MBE.
The Borderlands-funded work will include:
- Bringing the building up to modern Building Control standards, to create more footfall to the cinema and the museum;
- Delivering 140 square metres of community space by refurbishing redundant rooms within the building;
- Opening up the foyer to create a Visitor Information Point, facing the Roxy plaza and Coronation Hall;
- Supporting environmental improvements through the installation of a rainwater capture system, solar panels and associated battery storage; and
- Assess feasibility of opening up the rear void sitting behind the existing cinema screen.
The Roxy building opened in 1937 as a cinema and the building now also hosts the Laurel and Hardy Museum, U-Gym and Redrock Productions.
In March 2023 The Roxy Collective purchased the building via several streams of funding. Through the Community Ownership Fund the Collective was also able to complete their second phase of development which consisted of extensive structural repairs and renovations to the roof, ensuring the building was watertight and giving the exterior walls a fresh colour scheme and new branding. Solar panels were also installed along with a new battery room as the first steps forward in making the building sustainable.
Suzy Garnett, the chair of The Roxy Collective, said: “We are incredibly grateful to the Borderlands Committee and the Ulverston Town Team for their support, which allows us to continue the much-needed development work on our beloved Roxy. The Roxy has been a cornerstone of our community for generations, and this investment ensures that it remains a vibrant space for arts, culture, and connection for years to come. As always, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the community for its unwavering support: your passion and dedication are what keep the Roxy alive.”
The Roxy Collective will be holding an open evening in the near future for members of the public to find out more about the plans. They will announce a date soon on their social channels and website.
The Borderlands Partnership Board is supporting five Cumbrian towns – Dalton in Furness; Egremont; Penrith; Ulverston and Wigton – as part of the Borderlands Place Programme, a major programme to support the development and renewal of towns across the Borderlands region.
Through the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, £50m has been committed by UK and Scottish Governments to the Borderlands Place Programme. This will target investment in places that will help boost economic activity across the region and recognises the importance of our smaller rural market and coastal towns to the local economy. The development of Place Plans for each town in the programme will help communities and places set out their vision for the future of their place.
The £452 million Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal is a regional investment programme jointly supported by the UK and Scottish governments and local partners. The Borderlands Partnership is made up of Westmorland and Furness Council, Cumberland Council, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Northumberland County Council and Scottish Borders Council.
Councillor Virginia Taylor, Westmorland and Furness Council Cabinet Member for Sustainable Communities and Localities, said: "This grant funding is great news for the Roxy Collective, Ulverston as a whole and the wider area. Great credit should go to the Roxy Collective – their tenacity and vision is securing a future for a fabulous building, a working cinema, a museum and more, all supporting the economic and cultural vibrancy of Ulverston. And thanks as well to the members of Ulverston Town Team for supporting this Borderlands bid.
"Westmorland and Furness Council hasn’t forgotten Ulverston’s ambitious vision for a Cultural Quarter around the Roxy and the neighbouring Coro. Plans for the Coro are taking shape and I am committed to work with partners on this. There is a national backdrop of cuts in funding for cultural services and financial pressures on councils but the council has committed funding for the Coro – so I hope that the Coro can look forward to working together with the Roxy jointly to promote the arts, culture as well as community togetherness."
Click here to find out more about the Borderlands Partnership.