Interest in Regent offers a glimmer of hope ...
A COMMERCIAL business, community groups and hundreds of local residents have all expressed an interest in saving The Regent Cinema.
The Mail revealed last week the committee members of Leven Community Cinema, who operate the picturehouse, are stepping down next month meaning the building will close on March 24 unless they are replaced.
But Colin Cunningham, treasurer of the cinema group, this week told the Mail there is still some hope this may happen as the committee had been approached and subsequently met with representatives of a commercial business last Thursday.
A group of volunteers currently working at The Regent are also considering setting up a new committee to take over and two local art and culture groups, Buckhaven Beehive and Channel Fife TV are also monitoring the situation.
Mr Cunningham refused to reveal the identity of the interested business stressing any development was still at an early stage but did say he thought it had the ability to takeover the cinema.
Expertise
He added: “They have the business acumen, expertise and the knowledge and skills to take it forward.
“They are looking at the accounts this now and we are just waiting to see if they want to take it any further.”
Meanwhile a Facebook page set up by two cinema volunteers has hit over 300 ‘likes’ in under a week.
Wayne Thomson (31) and Colin Peter (48) launched ‘Save The Regent Cinema’ shortly after being informed of the committee’s decision to step down.
The pair are devastated at the idea of the cinema closing and hope the page will be able to bring people together who are able to continue with the cinema.
Their aim is to quickly set up a new committee to takeover from Leven Community Cinema and are appealing for anyone willing to join, particularly those with business experience, to contact them on the Facebook page.
Colin, who is facing a double whammy as he works at Leven’s Remploy factory which is also facing closure, can’t bare to think about the worse case scenario.
“It’s like a second home,” he said.
“It will effect everyone in Leven and we don’t want to see it closed.”
Potential
Wayne added: “There is so much potential in the cinema. Even things like selling coffee, putting vending machines in and selling hotdogs could all make more money.
“If you lose the cinema that’s it in Leven, there would be nothing.
“I created the Facebook group to allow people their input. It’s a place for people to come together with ideas.”
Wayne and Colin added they are speaking to other cinema volunteers and it’s one employee projectionist Charles Ellis and hope to organise a public meeting, where a new committee could be formed, in the near future.
The date, once confirmed will be advertised on the Facebook page and in the East Fife Mail.
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Weather for Kirkcaldy
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 17 C
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