On Monday 12 May Woolton Cinema CIC exchanged contracts for the purchase of the Woolton Picture House on Mason Street. £22,500 being 5% of the £450,000 purchase price has been paid with another £22,500 being due 12 July.

We then have until 1 April 2026 to raise the funds to complete the purchase and the funds to refurbish the building.

Money has been raised in the past to support the cinema and people’s doubt about donating their time and money to this fresh initiative is understandable. To give potential supporters confidence about this project we are looking to raise the purchase and refurbishment monies as one target.

There is no point us raising the £450,000 to buy the building, paying this over and taking ownership if we do not have the funds to fully reopen the cinema. Likewise we would be wrong to raise and begin spending the £250,000 to refurbish the building without owning the building. Both parcels of money depend on each other.

These are early days and there is much to do. The pace at which things can happen depends on two key things: how much do people want to be involved in helping and how quickly can we raise the funds?

Fundraising

Now we have the keys to the building and our ambitions are public, we can begin the raising of funds. Gillian has an impressive record of raising public funds having been a fundraiser at The Tate, The Philharmonic and currently leading the team at the Royal Court Theatre. There she is supported by James Hernandez, a freelance fundraising consultant and Joe Morris, part of the theatre’s executive team.

We will begin a fundraising campaign in July and these funds will not be spent until we have achieved our target. If we fail to raise the full funds all donations will be returned to donors.

Public Consultation

We want as many people as possible to become involved in this project. Woolton Cinema is only going to reopen and then stay open if it has the real support of the community. As soon as we can we want to invite interested parties to come into the cinema and hopefully be won over by its magic, its potential and our plans.