FELIXSTOWE — A youth charity that has supported young people across Felixstowe for 25 years is expanding its reach with an innovative new community hub built from converted shipping containers.
Level Two is preparing to open a new two-storey centre at Beach Street, bringing additional youth services to an area identified as having some of the highest levels of deprivation in the town.
The new facility, constructed from four converted shipping containers on Micklegate Road, is expected to open next month and will operate alongside the charity’s existing premises above a supermarket on Cobbold Road.
Chief Executive Shez Hopkins said the expansion represented a significant milestone for the organisation and would help ensure support is accessible to more young people.
“We know west Felixstowe has some of the highest levels of deprivation,” Hopkins explained. “We simply want to make sure that all young people who want to access our services are able to access them.”
The new hub forms part of Beach Street’s growing container village, which has transformed the area since opening in 2020 with independent retailers, cafés, entertainment spaces, and community facilities.
To celebrate the expansion, the charity hosted an evening event featuring live drama and music performances from young people who use its services. Around 80 supporters attended, including legendary keyboard player Rick Wakeman, who has recently been involved in several community fundraising projects across Suffolk.
Wakeman, who recently returned from a United States tour, is currently collaborating with young people through Level Two on a musical performance for this year’s Suffolk Day celebrations at St Edmundsbury Cathedral.
The expansion comes as Level Two marks its 25th anniversary.
Founded in 2001, the charity has grown significantly, now supporting young people aged seven through to 25 across a broad range of services.
Hopkins highlighted the growing demand for support services.
“Our engagement statistics for 2025 show we worked with 833 individual young people across all services, which is an amazing achievement,” she said.
“But when you compare that to the overall population of young people in Felixstowe, we know there are still many who are not accessing support.”
The new container hub has cost approximately £220,000 to develop, excluding staffing costs, with plans already underway to recruit an additional youth worker later this year.
For Hopkins, despite uncertainty facing many community organisations, the expansion represents optimism rather than caution.
“There’s lots of uncertainty and change happening around local government and funding, but I see this as a massive opportunity,” she said.
For many young people, Level Two’s impact extends far beyond traditional youth services.
Twenty-one-year-old Alex Fotheringham said the charity had transformed his confidence.
“This place has given me so many opportunities and the confidence to be myself,” he said.
“I hope with the expansion into Beach Street that this work can continue and help others feel the way I do.”
Volunteer Katie Clark, who first joined as a service user three years ago, described the charity as life changing.
“I remember first walking through the doors feeling like no one wanted to hear what I had to say,” she said.
“Now I’m pursuing my childhood career dream, supporting young people myself, and I have a network around me when I need it. It’s been a complete transformation.”
As the shipping containers are stacked into place and preparations continue ahead of opening day, Level Two’s latest chapter reflects something much larger than new buildings or additional space.
For hundreds of young people across Felixstowe, it represents opportunity, belonging, and the promise that support remains close to home.
Full Articles :
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c142r0xkgdvo
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/26127018.ground-breaking-level-two-hub-open-felixstowe/