Community

Cavern Walks believes in leading by example and their mission is to work within the community which is fundamental to the retail destination, to help positively influence the locality and to create perfect partnerships wherever possible.

The city centre is the hub of the community and a meeting place providing local people with an opportunity to come together in one location. The work within the local community is therefore intended to provide an environment in which the public can learn, develop and grow.

In essence, Cavern Walks aims to:

• Build new community relationships and strengthen existing ones
• Encourage development and investment within the local community
• Improve the local workforce’s skills via retail and service opportunities
• Nurture and enhance the environment of the local community
• Promote environmental awareness and understanding

Cavern Walks owners, Warner Estate, believes in leading by example and their corporate mission is to work within the communities which are fundamental to every retail destination, to help positively influence the locality and to create perfect partnerships wherever possible.

In November 2008 Cavern Walks teamed up with Liverpool John Moores University for a photography competition. Second year students from the Fashion Communication course were asked to create a visual inspired by ’shopping’ at Liverpool’s boutique emporium. Entries were displayed in the centre for two weeks before the winner, Alice England, was announced.

March 2009 saw Cavern Walks launch a new programme to showcase musical talent in Liverpool. Students from Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) were given the chance to entertain shoppers with regular afternoon performance slots throughout the Spring and Summer.

In May 2010 Cavern Walks teamed up with designer boutique Cello, Gossip magazine and John Moores University to award the city’s up and coming fashion design talent. Level 2 BA Fashion students were given the chance to give their career a head start with an internship at celebrity boutique Cello, run by entrepreneur Louisa Kelly who has worked as a stylist on the set of hit TV series Hollyoaks for the past 13 years. Students had to research the Cello brand and design a graduation or prom dress to feature in the store’s forthcoming capsule collection.

As December 2010 approached, Cavern Walks approached John Moores University once again to give students from the Graphic Design and Illustration course the opportunity to design the centre’s Christmas advertising campaign – their first, paid, live brief.

Melissa Burns fought off strong competition to win the commission with her fashion illustrations of items within the centre’s boutique fashion stores. The designs were incorporated into Cavern Walks’ Christmas advertising campaign and displayed both at Liverpool Central Station as well as in a bus stop panel in Lord Street.

 Most recently in August 2011 Cavern Walks reinforced its commitment to supporting independent designers by offering LJMU fashion graduates free exhibition space for their final design pieces. Collections from four students were displayed for the pubic to view for six weeks over the Summer.

Looking forward to November 2011, Cavern Walks’ Visual Merchandising competition, in connection with UCLAN and Hugh Baird College, will come to fruition. Students have been given a live brief from each of the stores to create a visually striking window design for Christmas. The winning design will be installed ready for the busy Christmas shopping period.