Clifton Cinema bid could 'give town a lift'

The Clifton Community Arts Centre Ltd, which was set up to save the former Clifton Cinema in Wellington, held a business breakfast in a bid to speak to local traders about the benefits they could receive from supporting the group and also spoke about how a focus on arts and culture could help with the regeneration of the town.

Fiona Hunter, a director of the group, said the event attracted lots of people who may be able to support the project in the future.

She said: "We held the first business breakfast because we wanted to raise awareness of the project and explain to investors the benefit from being a part of the project, through things like tax benefits. It was also attended by members of Team Wellington who wanted to do demonstrations of how regeneration can be helped by culture and arts in the area."

Talks were given by David Jack, the manager of Shrewsbury's Theatre Severn, and Geoff Vernon, the manager of the Festival Drayton Arts and Community Centre in Market Drayton, on what change the two had been able to achieve in their respective areas.

Ms Hunter added: "They explained how the centres had benefited their communities.

"We wanted to demonstrate how Wellington could be so uplifted by having that type of presence in the town. People come in and show us what facilities they want and things grow from there.

"This was an event to discuss investment from the business community, rather than the general public," she added.

The group has so far raised £32,000 from a share offer launched in December 2013.

It was seeking to raise £500,000 to buy and restore the building in Bridge Street which had been empty since Dunelm moved out in 2012.

The Clifton opened as a cinema in 1937, and closed 50 years later.