Woolton Picture House to reopen for 12 days of Christmas films as part of £700k fundraiser

Woolton Picture House is planning to reopen for 12 days of Christmas films as part of a newly-launched £700,000 fundraising campaign.

Kevin Fearon and Gill Miller, who are also behind the revival of the Royal Court theatre, set up a Community Interest Company earlier this year with the aim of restoring the cinema for the community.

The much-loved Picture House has been closed since Covid and is in desperate need of refurbishment including electrics and heating.

Now the CIC has launched a fundraising appeal, with a target of £450,000 to cover the purchase price and a further £250,000 by May 2026 to get it back to its former glory and operating again.

£25,000 raised by the current owner from donations during Covid will be added to the campaign once it hits £675,000, taking it to the total needed to secure the cinema’s future.

If the target isn’t reached by the deadline, donations will all be refunded, but Kevin is hopeful that the Picture House is such a valuable asset, it can be saved.

He said:

“We need support to get this 98-year-old gem back up and running. We’re not a private company in this for personal gain; we are a group of Woolton residents who have set up a CIC to buy the cinema for the community. 

“Once purchased, the cinema will be a community-owned resource, managed by the community itself.

“Normally people do these things to make money, but we really are doing it for the good of the community and all the volunteers and companies who are offering their services and time and donations are doing it for the greater good.”

A finance committee, made up of people who have been accountants or worked in finance, is being set up as well as a health and safety committee, so the CIC has managed to put together teams of people taking on various different roles.

Local residents have also volunteered to work at the cinema once it reopens, including as ushers, ice cream sellers and first aiders.

Kevin says the focus is currently on letting people know about the fundraising and how they can get involved in it.

That includes becoming a Picture House Film Buff, which entitles supporters to perks like VIP opening night and special events and invitations to meet & greet visiting filmmakers and actors.

There’s also the chance to dedicate a seat in the newly refurbished auditorium to someone, with a plaque and personal message.

Fundraising events are being planned between now and next spring, but first it’s the pre-Christmas screenings which will give audiences a taste of what the cinema is like now – and how it might be.

“At the moment it’s got damp and there’s no carpet, so in a way 12 Days of Christmas is part of selling the idea of what we’re doing because people can see how much the building needs refurbishing,” says Kevin. “We’ll also be showing a film before, reminding how people how good the cinema could be if we’re able to achieve what we’re planning.

“We’ll be opening from December 12 to Christmas Eve and although we’ve not finalised the full programme yet, we’re definitely looking at Christmas classics like It’s a Wonderful Life and Die Hard.

“We’re also negotiating with supermarkets on parking deals and people who park will walk down to the cinema past other businesses so hopefully we’ll be able to help the local business community as well.”

Find out more about the fundraising campaign and how to support it here.

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