Furness Building Society

Furness Building Society is a British building society, which has its headquarters in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. It is the 18th largest in the United Kingdom based on total assets of £813 million as at 31 December 2010. Total assets increased to £1.2 billion by 2022. It is a member of the Building Societies Association.

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The Forum, Barrow-in-Furness

The Forum (formerly Forum 28) is a theatre, media and arts centre located in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. The complex is currently home to an adaptable auditorium and stage, several conference and function rooms, Barrow's main tourist information centre and a Costa Coffee outlet. The Forum is situated in Central Barrow, opposite the town hall. A fatal outbreak of legionellosis in 2002 was traced to the Forum's air conditioning system. The Forum is one of the area's main cultural and art centres and has hosted many musical artists, comedians and other performers, as well as hosting such events as the local multicultural festival and various career conventions. Many local and international theatre groups have used the Forum for their productions, plays and pantomimes.

2002 Barrow-in-Furness legionellosis outbreak

The 2002 Barrow-in-Furness Legionnaires' disease outbreak was a fatal outbreak of Legionellosis which occurred in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. The first fatality occurred on 2 August 2002. The source of the bacteria was later found to be from steam coming out of a badly maintained air conditioning unit. The system was located in the council-run arts centre Forum 28, with the vent emitting the disease over a busy alleyway in the town centre. Ultimately seven people died and 172 cases were reported (a case fatality rate of around 4%), ranking as the second worst in British history and seventh worst globally by death count. The coroner for Furness and South Cumbria criticised the council for its failings with regard to health and safety at the conclusion of an inquest into the seven deaths. In 2006, council employee Gillian Beckingham and employer Barrow Borough Council were cleared of seven charges of manslaughter. Beckingham, the council senior architect, was fined £15,000 and the authority £125,000. The authority maintained that Beckingham was not responsible for the building or the defective plant and dismissed the building Technical Manager Kevin Borthwick. He was later re-instated to his position following a challenge by his union. The borough council was the first public body in the country to have faced corporate manslaughter charges. Beckingham maintained that a contract to maintain the plant was in place but failings of others meant that the work was never undertaken, nor was the lack of adequate maintenance pursued by those responsible for the building. Following the trials, the contractor responsible for maintaining the defective plant, Interserve, settled a £1.5 million claim by the Council for damages.

Barrow-in-Furness Town Hall

Barrow-in-Furness Town Hall is a Gothic Revival style municipal building in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. The building, which served as the headquarters of the former Barrow Borough Council, and now one of the bases of Westmorland and Furness Council, lies within a Conservation Area with Grade II* listed status.

Imperial Hotel, Barrow-in-Furness

The Imperial Hotel (formerly Hotel Imperial) located on Cornwallis Street in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England is a 4-star Grade II listed hotel built in 1875. The iconic five storey building was designed by architect Thomas Bennet and, like many Barrow buildings, constructed of red brick and sandstone. Other notable features of the building are the balcony located directly above the main entrance and the two decorative lamps standing in front of the hotel, which are also Grade II listed. The hotel underwent a £1 million renovation in 2012 by businessman Stuart Bowes, owner of the nearby Majestic Hotel. It now contains 49 rooms, a rooftop terrace and the Aspire cocktail lounge.