Shropshire Star comment: Support for cinema so important
Patience really is a virtue. There must have been many who believed it would never happen, some who didn’t survive to see its launch and others who imagined it was no more than a pipe dream.
But after more than three decades and thousands of volunteer hours, one of the region’s most historic market towns finally has a cinema of its own.
Wellington can join the ranks of bigger towns and those that are better equipped by providing a cultural offering to residents.
People will no longer have to climb in their car or catch the bus to see a film on the big screen at Telford.
They can instead enjoy it from the comfort of lavishly-upholstered blue seats right on their doorstep.
The Orbit is set to become a much-loved facility for locals to cherish but the lesson of other, similar-sized market towns can provide a cautionary tale.
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Such facilities are not always universally welcomed and once the gloss wears off some find it difficult to keep going.
All of the hard work invested to bring them to life is lost as community leaders are forced to embark upon campaigns to keep such ventures afloat.
The residents of Wellington, therefore, must be left in no doubt that with privilege comes responsibility. They must use their new cinema if it is to thrive. It is no use leaving it to others or heading into other towns if they want their community picture house to thrive. They might also be mindful of the heroic efforts of locals who have worked tirelessly to realise their dream.
In an increasingly commercial world, where profits are hard to find and margins are squeezed ever more tightly, small-scale arts enterprises find it tough to stay afloat.
And so, in addition to supporting the screening of films, it’s to be hoped locals will come forward to volunteer and they’ll pitch in with ideas of their own while also showing fulsome support for other community events.
Perhaps they should look at The Orbit as a blank canvas. The facility is theirs to shape over a period of years. It is up to locals to get involved, to make sure it’s a success, to leave nothing to chance. The selfless work of enthusiasts has yielded fruit.
A new generation must make sure those efforts do not go to waste.
