Gabriel Stewart

Natasha Reed is celebrating two years since opening NJ Beauty Retreat on Scott Street in Barrow-in-Furness. The salon has grown into a team of self-employed beauty professionals and specializes in laser hair removal and waxing. Reed credits her previous experience at Halo Hair & Beauty and Mia Bella, as well as support from local businesses and clients, for helping establish the salon.

Local poet Caleb has stocked Barrow-in-Furness’s Little Book Stop on Dalton Road with poetry books ahead of Squawk Spoken Word’s first poetry slam. The monthly event gives local poets opportunities to perform and is preparing a showcase at Full of Noises in Barrow Park. The Little Book Stop, provided by Penguin Books as part of its 90th birthday celebrations, operates on a give-a-book, take-a-book basis.

Team Barrow has announced £22.9 million for the first phase of a major regeneration programme in Barrow-in-Furness. Interim plans include a temporary events space, a replacement market village, arts and entertainment activity, improved use of the town hall, and a town-wide lighting and arts programme. Longer-term plans include demolishing The Forum and Market Hall, building a new theatre, and developing housing, retail, commercial space, public areas and parking. The wider Heart of Barrow programme could take up to 10 years, with demolition expected from early 2028 and completion targeted for 2035. Funding includes £10.912 million from the Local Regeneration Fund and £1.560 million from Westmorland and Furness Council, with further investment expected. Residents will be invited to review and comment on the proposals at an engagement event in October.

Barrow and Furness MP Michelle Scrogham supports government plans to require vape shops, betting shops and adult gaming centres to obtain planning permission before opening. The new powers would allow councils and local communities to limit unwanted businesses and support high-street regeneration. The article cites Centre for Social Justice figures showing the closure of nearly 1,800 UK pubs and bars since 2016 alongside growth in vape and tobacco shops to almost 2,200.

The Nao Santa María, a 2018 Spanish replica of Christopher Columbus’s flagship from his 1492 Atlantic expedition, will dock at Barrow Town Quay from August 27 to 31. Visitors can explore the vessel, including its decks and reconstructed captain’s quarters. It will open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with tickets priced at £12 for adults, £6 for children and £30 for families; children under five enter free.

Barrow-based Energy4all has helped establish 34 community-owned renewable energy co-operatives across the UK since 2002, raising more than £100 million and distributing £4.3 million to local communities. Projects have funded energy-efficiency improvements, education, hospices and other local initiatives, including solar installations in Scunthorpe and investment on the Isle of Skye. Supporters say community ownership gives residents greater control over energy supply and ensures profits deliver local benefits, while proposed UK government funding of up to £1 billion could accelerate locally owned clean-energy generation.

Twenty-one-year-old Harvey Collins has opened Covert Supplies, a military surplus and hardware shop on Tilberthwaite Avenue in Coniston. He funded the business with savings from working as a tree surgeon and currently sells items including sleeping bags, waterproofs, thermals, boots and basic DIY equipment. Collins hopes the shop will meet demand from campers, hikers and local residents, while expanding its hardware stock as customer numbers grow.

Dalton Leisure Centre will offer free instructor-led swimming lessons for children aged four and over, along with family swim sessions, from August 3 to 21 through the Swim4All Project. Funded by Westmorland & Furness Council, the programme is intended to improve water confidence, swimming skills and access to physical activity during the school holidays. Lessons cover Learn to Swim Stages 1–6, while family sessions are open to all ages. Places are limited, and new participants must register at the centre before booking.