Phoenix Cinema’s £600,000 breakthrough

By John Lawrence
The team at the Phoenix Cinema are celebrating after their ambitious project to restore the glory of the 100-year-old building won more than £600,000 in lottery cash. Months of detailed preparation and painstaking paperwork by Chief Executive Paul Homer and his team went into the successful bid for the Heritage Lottery Fund award.

But this cash boost is only the start of the hard work. Now the Phoenix must raise the final £200,000 it needs to get the building work under way. The cinema is asking for donors to step forward and for film lovers to support a series of fundraising events planned for this year.

The Phoenix will shut its doors from April to June next year while the final stages of the restoration project take place. The Grade II-listed building’s ageing auditorium will be completely renovated and the exterior façade upgraded. A new glass-fronted café and terrace bar will overlook the High Road.

The £607,000 grant represents the first time the Heritage Lottery Fund has supported a London cinema.
Paul Homer said: “It’s fantastic that we’ve got the money, and now we’re confident that with plenty of local support we can raise the remaining £200,000 we need for work to start.

“To get this far, we had to prove to the Fund that the cinema has heritage value and that the restoration is in keeping with that heritage. And it’s not just about the building. We have plenty of community events and activities planned as part of the project.”

Anyone who would like to donate money to the Phoenix can contact Paul on 020 8444 6789 or info@phoenixcinema.co.uk. Donations can also be made online at www.phoenixcinema.co.uk/support/campaigns

Back