Our Work in Your Community

Behind the scenes we continue with our work in the community

Did you know that we don’t just screen films?
Even though it is what we are known for – our varied and challenging programming especially – we are proud to call ourselves a charity that gives back to the community around us, especially to those who cannot normally attend cinema screenings.
This fortnight is a perfect example:

• On Fri 25 Feb we have a PACSO (Parents & Carers Support Organization) screening for young children who can normally not attend the cinema due to various difficulties. We move the front seats, and replace them with bean bags; we keep the sound at a lower level; and keep the lights on at a mid level. This event, as well as the following three PACSO screenings have been funded by Henry Beltran who raised this money through his farewell screening at New Park last year.
• On the morning of Sat 26 Feb we have five local junior schools presenting short films at New Park. These films, which are based around the ‘Little People Big Dreams’ books, have been supported and funded by the Cinema, and the children are delighted to bring their families to show off their works – and receive their awards. We work in partnership with Ali Khan from STEM who works directly with the children;
• Mon 28 Feb sees the next free screening for young adults from the Apuldram Centre. We put on a film in the morning in the main auditorium, and bring in some lunch for the guests from Splits Bakery. This is a monthly event that started in 2021.
• In early March, we will send out our next film care package to nine local care homes. We provide a DVD of a recently released film, accompanied by a selection of food treats from COOK Chichester. This scheme was launched during the first lockdown in 2020 when those in care homes could not even see their relatives, let alone visit a cinema.
• Last week we had Year 5 students from Chichester Free School, accompanied by teacher Kate Wade, for a free event linked to the production of ‘Private Peaceful’ at Chichester Festival Theatre. Patrick and Sandy of the education team presented clips from a range of films about WW1 and Richard Knowles from CFT gave some insights into the stage production. Year 6 students will be coming for a similar event on the Mar 10.

If you would like to HELP US HELP THE COMMUNITY, do get in touch using the Contact Us link at the top of the page.

We are always looking for support for this part of our operation, and are very grateful to all of those who have supported us in the past.