Shropshire Star

Clifton Cinema campaign: New fundraising scheme launched

Campaigners trying to bring a cinema to a town have launched another fundraising scheme to help move plans forward.

Published

Representatives of Clifton Community Arts Centre Ltd in Wellington hope to have news from the owners of the town's former HSBC bank as early as next week, after revealing their intention to acquire a short-term lease for the building and turn it into a new 80-seat cinema.

The Clifton group has joined the Department of Work and Pensions' Grow Your Tenner match-funding scheme.

Members of the public can give £10 towards financing the project and the Government will then match the total funds raised.

The group says the scheme could provide it with a significant amount of funding to help with the plans to take over and convert the former bank in Station Approach.

The group says it will also continue with its ultimate aim to acquire the former Clifton Cinema in Bridge Street, which closed in the 1980s. The group has so far raised more than £32,000 from a share offer launched in December 2013. It was seeking to raise £500,000 to buy and restore the building which has been empty since soft-furnishings chain Dunelm moved out in 2012.

Fiona Hunter, one of the directors of the group, said the more money the group can raise will make the proposals look more viable to the building's current owners. She added: "Our finance director Ray Hughes is working on the business plan after getting some information from another venue that is running a similar project."

But the Clifton group is still no clearer on the future of the site, with the group having no update from Dunelm on any sale of the building.

To pledge to the Grow Your Tenner scheme visit localgiving.org/charity/the-clifton-community-arts-centre-ltd.

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