Wellington cinema reaches major milestone with 1,000th shareholder

Gareth Bellamy became the 1,000th shareholder in Wellington Orbit, with his wife Brenda acquiring share number 999.

Wellington Orbit began as an idea in 2012 under the ‘Save the Clifton’ Campaign.

With the dedication and hard work of countless volunteers, it grew into a reality in 2019 with the opening of phase one of the project – a 63-seat cinema and café in the former HSBC Bank building at 1 Station Road.

Since then, it has become a cherished organisation in the community, offering diverse programming and creating opportunities for arts, culture and community engagement.

And members recently celebrated the purchase of its freehold, cementing its ambitions of delivering the facilities the community is asking for.

Phil Morris-Jones MBE, chairman of Wellington Orbit, said: “It has been a journey of passion, dedication, and community spirit and we are humbled by the outpouring of support from our members, staff, volunteers, and customers who have made Wellington Orbit what it is today.

"This exemplifies the demand for such facilities in the town and we are proud to be at a pivotal moment in the project as we move towards phase two redevelopments”.

Phase two will transform the upper floors of the building into multi-use spaces, including a dance studio, and meeting and exhibition spaces.

Mr Bellamy said: "Brenda and I are thrilled to support the Orbit and it's truly inspiring to see what the team have achieved already.

"The incredible support and demand from the community for this unique venue is special and we cannot wait to see it flourish as a key asset for the community”.

Last month it was announced that a bid by Telford & Wrekin Council was successful, which will see £9.8 million invested into the redevelopment of Wellington town centre, including work at Wellington Orbit.

Orbit director Ray Hughes recently said he was thrilled with the rapid progress of the project – and added that community support had been vital.

“The project does not realise its aims unless we engage with the community and the fact the community has embraced the project means the powers-that-be believe we are worth investing in,” he said.