Youth charity expands with shipping container hub

A seaside town youth charity is expanding its provision with a new centre built from shipping containers.

Level Two in Felixstowe is adding a two-storey hub in the Beach Street area, which already has food and retail units in converted containers.

The new facility, which is expected to open next month, is in addition to the charity's current base above a supermarket on Cobbold Road in the centre of the Suffolk port town.

The charity's chief executive, Shez Hopkins, said west Felixstowe was "the area with the highest levels of deprivation... we just want to make sure that all young people that want to access [our services], can access".

A celebration evening was held on Tuesday, with drama and music performances from young people.

About 80 supporters and guests attended, including former Yes keyboard star Rick Wakeman, who lives in Suffolk and has recently raised money for a village primary school and church by putting on a concert.

He is currently working with a group of young people to perform a song as part of this year's Suffolk Day celebrations in St Edmundsbury Cathedral on Sunday, 21 June.

The new hub, on Micklegate Road, comes as the charity marks its 25th anniversary.

Since its inception in 2001, Level Two has grown to offer a range of provision for youngsters aged from seven to 25.

Hopkins said: "Our [engagement] stats for 2025 were 833 individual young people across all services, which is an amazing achievement.

"However, if you look at the population of young people in Felixstowe, 833 is a drop in the ocean, so we know that there are people that are not accessing our services."

The container hub has cost £220,000, plus costs for staffing. The charity plans to recruit a new youth worker in September.

"I spend a lot of my time writing funding applications, looking for gaps in service provision, checking if I've got a new idea that it's not duplicating something that's already been done out there before," said Hopkins.

"But it's a really exciting change. I think that where we are at the moment with lots of uncertainty and challenge and concern around all the changes with the councils and everything... I'm just seeing this as a massive opportunity."

Alex Fotheringham, 21, has been coming to Level Two for the last year, and said: "This place has given me so many opportunities and the confidence to be myself.

"I hope with the expansion of Beach Street that this work can spread and continue and help others feel the way I do."

Katie Clark, 25, added: "I started as a service user about three years ago and now volunteer.

"I remember first walking through the doors and just feeling like no-one wanted to hear what I had to say or I didn't matter.

"It's been such a transformation from there to now, chasing my childhood dream, career-wise, being here for the young people, having a network that I can fall back on if I need it, and just feeling like a flourished person."

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