The Roxy Collective

The Roxy Collective was formed in 2021 when a local group concerned with the future of the community asset building, The Roxy, located on Brogden Street, in the festival town of Ulverston, Cumbria, realised that the future of the building and the businesses within, were at risk of being lost through potential sales to developers.

The Roxy building originally opened in 1937, in the fantastic era of art deco and drew in sell-out crowds to this amazing cinema venue. Over the years the building has been transformed within, still housing the cinema, but also a bingo hall, nightclub and now consists of The Roxy Cinema, Laurel and Hardy Museum, U-GYM and Redrock Productions. You can read a full History of The Roxy here.

With such an integral building to the community of Ulverston being under threat of closure and redeveloped into the unknown, The Roxy Collective formed to investigate ways that the group could raise funds to purchase The Roxy building, maintaining the building for the community, and ensuring the businesses within could remain open.

After many meetings, research and other sales of the building falling through, The Roxy Collective have now began the process of fund raising, currently operating as a CIC (a not for profit Community Interest Company), with a view to gain charity status, and are working with the current owner to ensure a smooth and positive sale of the building once funds are raised.

The intentions of The Roxy Collective are laid out in Three Phases: Securing the building, Renovation and Make it yours – for the community. Working closely with the current business owners we completed Phase 1 with the purchase of the building back in March 2023.

Phases 2 & 3 include renovating the building back to its original art deco style, making the whole building accessible (a lift is high priority) and welcoming via updating the heating system, creating a welcome foyer and becoming the official home of Ulverston’s Tourist Information Point. As of August 2023 we began on Phase 2, starting with any structural repairs to the building, including a brand new roof to ensure the building is water tight. We’ll also be giving the building a fresh new colour scheme and logo later in the year.

As part of these phases we’re also planning to look at how several unused spaces within the building can be opened up and used as community spaces in the future.

As a community asset building, The Roxy Collective’s focus is to continue to make The Roxy a place for everyone and are very excited to work and share plans with the Ulverston and surrounding areas community.

Find out more about The Roxy Collective team here. If you have any queries, would like to be involved or have any suggestions you would like The Roxy Collective to consider, please don’t hesitate to Contact Us.