LEVELS WHITEHAVEN: Where esports, virtual reality gaming, and immersive learning collide
LEVELS WHITEHAVEN
Where esports, virtual reality gaming, and immersive learning collide.
by Stephen Murphy
We can’t wait for LEVELS Immersive Entertainment and Education Centre in Whitehaven to throw open its doors and welcome everyone in.
LEVELS is a concept where young people, primarily, will be able to learn, have fun (lots of fun), see the world, experience so much via Virtual Reality (VR) and also compete on a national level through the eports leagues. It’s all tech and very much out there, but we’ll come to that later.
Firstly, let’s talk about the building. The complete renovation and salvation of what was once one of Whitehaven’s biggest eyesores now stands proud and elevates the town center.
The multi-million-pound project’s first step was to save, restore, enhance, and bring the building back from dereliction while preserving it for future generations. Job done, and very nicely done indeed.
Let’s face it: that building brought down the whole town, especially King Street. Yes, I know it isn’t on that street; however, when looking up from any point on King Street, that monstrosity sucked the very life out of your soul and hurt your eyes.
Well, no more! The transformation of the building is literally changing the town and has given Whitehaven a huge boost. The finished LEVELS will certainly have the same positive and vibrant impact as did the Lighthouses when they were refurbished.
“It will be accessible to everyone who wants to come and get involved.”
This project is one of many brought to you by BEC, with support from Sellafield’s “Social Impact Multiplied (SiX)” and various others, with the renovation carried out by local contractor Thomas Armstrong of Flimby.
The main aim of LEVELS is to create a positive impact and engage youngsters aged 11-18 years, though not exclusively.
This is an opportunity for our kids to get their hands on the very latest tech, which will challenge, inspire, and engage them while helping many learn a range of skills. These skills will assist them in taking steps into a future that is right for them, all by immersing themselves in the world of technology.
LEVELS will be home to one of Cumbria’s first esports arenas, where local teams will compete against the best students in the UK in the British esports Student Champs and participate in LEVELS local leagues.
If you think your school should enter a team, let them know and get involved!
Gemma Leadbetter, Chief Operating Officer at BEC, said, “At LEVELS, we are using immersive technology to bring forward a massive offering that includes entertainment activities for people as well as educational content, school visits, skills workshops, after-school clubs, and activities where people build essential skills while having loads of fun. That is really the principle of LEVELS – to connect with young people in ways that are engaging and inspirational raising awareness and aspiration LEVELS about the huge range of opportunities available to them.
Thanks to the funding support from Sellafield Ltd and BT and our own contribution we’re renovating the building and restoring it to its former glory. It matters to both locals and visitors, everyone who drives through the town passes by LEVELS and it’s visible right along King Street. BEC will retain responsibility for ongoing maintenance and will continue to invest in preserving the buildings condition, guaranteeing it will be looked after for future generations as we have with the Bus Station which we re-opened in 2021.
On the Level
You can pop in for a cuppa at the café, and on the other side of the ground floor, you’ll find the esports arena. We’ll be running local events and participating in national esports leagues. Rocket League – it’s football with cars – is competitive but fun. It builds social skills; esports and gaming develop essential skills like quick thinking, teamwork, and communication. And this is just the start.
In the esports arena, we have a demo simulator that models a Cessna plane, making you truly feel like you are in the air and a single player VR station for people to try.
On the first floor, we have four motion simulators, which can simulate cars or roller coasters. We also have six single player VR stations that can be used for fun, providing an immersive experience, but they can also serve educational purposes. We also have a dual purpose immersive room and co-location free roam arena where people can squad up and play together or experience immersive education experiences and environments.
The building is fully accessible, and we are exploring how we can adapt it for people who are neurodivergent or may have a visual or hearing impairment. We also want those who don’t have any issues to experience what it’s like for someone who does, helping people in the workplace gain real understanding. All of this is possible at LEVELS.”
Although the main target audience for LEVELS is aimed at ages 11-18, it will be accessible to everyone who wants to come and get involved.
Cost to get involved?
The high-level aspiration for LEVELS is to ultimately inspire people. The aim is that educational content is accessible for free – school visits, after-school clubs, workshops and esports leagues – and the LEVELS team are working with industry partners to support access for young people. Young people will be rewarded for completion of educational content with tickets to the VR arcade. This is how LEVELS uses game mechanics to motivate and inspire.
For recreational use by the public, costs would be between £25-£30 per user for the VR Arcade, a typical market rate.
There are opportunities for businesses to hire out the 31-place learning suite, which can be used for commercial purposes in addition to learning; ideal for training, boot camps, and more.
LEVELS also hosts a professional recording and editing studio, which can be adapted for podcast productions, video content editing, and more and is available for hire too.
If young people want to come and set up their own podcast or use the suite for video and radio production, it’s available.
The top floor is a tech-free area, as requested during public consultation. This area will be used for whatever people need, whether for traditional games like Dungeons & Dragons or simply for a place to chill and socialise. This space will also be available for community use.
“The main aim is to inspire the next generation, and we can’t wait until the doors open in January 2026!”
All in all, LEVELS has so much to offer! The future has landed, and the best advice we can give is to come in, take a tour, and discover how LEVELS can help you, your organisation, or your business.
For more information on how your organisation can get involved with sponsorship and help elevate the dreams and ambitions of our youngsters, contact LEVELS Direct at [email protected]
To learn more about what’s happening, follow Cumbria Guide on our social media
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