Levenshulme’s high street will be home to a pop-up shop with a difference throughout September as a local social enterprise kicks off its campaign to promote the area as a visitor destination and thriving trading environment.
The Love Levenshulme pop-up hub will open on 1st of September for four weeks, delivering business training, workshops, networking events, a Saturday ‘test the market’ shop and a drop-in service to local residents, businesses and visitors to find out more about the project.
The hub will act as a physical extension of the Love Levenshulme website, which is operated on a voluntary basis by local resident Pauline Johnston. Love Levenshulme was established in March this year with the aim of promoting Levenshulme as a visitor destination and a place that is open for business as well as sharing positive news and events about the suburb.
The new social enterprise, which has been supported by funds from the Levenshulme Market High Street Innovation Fund, has so far organised a number of events to promote the area, including a walking tour of Levenshulme in conjunction with Levenshulme Market and a family bike ride from Chorlton to Levenshulme, via the Fallowfield Loop with Sustrans.
The hub will launch on the 1st of September with a photo exhibition curated by Love Levenshulme which features portraits by local artist Sharah Smith, celebrating the character, resilience and diversity of the people behind the area’s businesses and organisations, including Trove Bakery,Bud Garden Centre, All FM and Alborz Persian restaurant.
Events scheduled for the month include a Start Ups Workshop delivered by Business Growth Hub, Growing a Grocery! – a workshop on how to set up a sustainable, ethical, co-operative grocery store from Unicorn Grocery’s Leah De Quattro and Kellie Bubble and How to Trade on a Market – Levenshulme Market director and trader Neil Buttery.
It will also be a chance for Levy Market Traders to test their products in a high street environment as there will be a ‘pop-up within a pop-up’ concession on each Saturday during the month.
Speaking ahead of the hub’s launch, founder Pauline Johnston said “Love Levenshulme was established to provide a dedicated space for local businesses, groups and organisations to be positive about the place they work and live. The pop-up is a physical extension of this and will give residents and traders a chance to meet, exchange ideas and work together toward promoting Levenshulme as a visitor attraction.
“The hub will have a Levy suggestion box, where people can share their ideas, which we’ll then escalate to the relevant people.
“The hub’s website also has a trader directory which we want all local traders to sign up to and we’re soon to be launching the Love Levenshulme Pledge, which will encourage local traders to act in the best interests of the area and its residents, for example by committing to paying the Living Wage and keeping on top of their trade waste arrangements so our area is as clean and attractive as possible to visitors.
“Levenshulme has so much to offer – including the highly regarded contemporary arts space Bankley Studios, one of Manchester’s finest artisan bakeries in Trove, great green spaces, many independent festivals, the weekly market and an intense community spirit – but is often overlooked as a visitor destination in favour of places like Chorlton and the Northern Quarter.
“Love Levenshulme aims to change that. We’re open 10.am until 2.pm, Monday to Saturday until September 29th and would love for as many locals and visitors as possible to pop in to share their ideas for improving the area and promoting it as a destination.”
