Power to the People - Film Lovers Spruce up Redcar Regent Cinema

Volunteers held a community clean-up to spruce up the Redcar Regent Cinema in a community clean-up on Sunday. The clean-up saw more than 20 members of the community roll up their sleeves and get stuck into sprucing up the unique interior of the cinema, on Newcomen Terrace on Redcar’s seafront.

The event was organised by the Regent Heritage Trust – the group that came together as a result of the Save the Regent Cinema campaign, which hosted a public meeting back in May.

The trust is a growing community group which aims to secure a strong future for the much-loved building on the seafront.

Chair of the trust Natalie King said: “We wanted to give the cinema manager a helping hand with such a huge cleaning task, and to show our support for everything he does to keep the cinema thriving.

“We want to help get the cinema ready for its revamp, and show the community cares.”

Local businesses showed their support for the action day too, with Tesco Distribution Centre at Teesport donating cleaning materials and raffling a television for volunteers.

Other companies such as Sainsbury’s Local and Heaven’s Best Carpet Cleaning of Redcar provided refreshments for volunteers and other equipment.

Redcar and Cleveland Council have told campaigners that they will renovate the exterior of the cinema, including replacing the canopy - so the team organised this event to give the inside a lift too.

The group scrubbed, polished, mopped and dusted the much-loved venue as a sign of their appreciation to the current manager and their love of the cinema.

Anna Turley, Redcar’s Labour Parliamentary candidate, joined the team at the clean-up and said: “Well done to the trust for organising this event. The Regent is a wonderful building and it was great for the community to be able to play its part in keeping it at its best.”

The first public meeting to discuss the future of the Regent saw about 50 members of the public turn out to discuss the future of the iconic cinema, which was built in 1928.

The Regent Heritage Trust had worked with proprietor Neil Bates to set up the campaign after concerns the cinema was being allowed to fall into disrepair, despite the seafront regeneration, and of rumours that a new multiplex on the Coatham Bowl site would spell the end for the cinema.

Campaigners say they were reassured by the council’s assertion that there was no intention of demolishing the building.

Article appears courtesy of : http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/film-lovers-give-redcar-regent-7607501