Lighthouse Cinema rescue fund closes in on £4k

Campaigners fighting to secure the future of Wolverhampton's only independent cinema have raised almost £4,000 for the cause – but said more donations are desperately needed.

Light House Media Centre can show digital movies on only one of its two screens and, in February, bosses launched a major fundraising campaign to upgrade the other screen to digital and modernise projection equipment.

They hope the campaign to keep up with technological advances will safeguard the city centre cinema for generations to come.

The grand total stands at £3,891 but supporters only have until December to hit the target of £7,500.

Coffers received a boost earlier this month when the Wolverhampton Centre for the National Trust handed over a £1,000 cheque towards the project.

Before that, however, donations had started to dry up, with little over £600 coming in since May.

Light House spokeswoman Lindsay Wiggin said they were confident they would meet the target but said they still needed more.

"If we don't hit the target then it will make things more difficult. Funding is being cut across the board and it is a pretty bleak situation in terms of funding from local government," she said.

"We have had donations from £1 to £100, which is brilliant, and we are of course very grateful to the National Trust for their amazing contribution as that was the biggest one we have had.

"It was nice that it came from a local organisation which is protecting the heritage of the building we are based in as well."

Light House, based in the historic Chubb buildings, faces an uncertain future as more film releases are being made available in a digital format rather than on 35mm film.

The UK Film Council spearheaded the switchover and launched the Digital Screen Network in 2005 but funding has ended.