Charity with plans to restore Prestwick cinema granted funding
Friends of The Broadway have been given £328,060
A charity looking to restore an historic Prestwick cinema has been granted funding to purchase the building.
Friends of The Broadway have been awarded £328,060 by the Scottish Land Fund.
The group will use the grant to purchase the former Broadway Cinema, with plans to redevelop the Art Deco building into an accessible, modern cinema with community space.
Professor Guy Walker, Chair of Friends of the Broadway, said: “Bringing back the Broadway started as a dream held by a committed group of Prestwick residents.
"Today that dream came true!
"The building will be owned by the community, and we are ‘bringing the Broadway back’ for everyone who said they would love to see films here again.
"Over the years people have asked us what’s happening with the building, and expressed their wish for something for young and older people to do in the town - well this is our Christmas present to you!”.
The Scottish Land Fund has awarded Friends of the Broadway the majority of the purchase price, with building owners, Buzzworks Group, contributing a significant six figure discount to enable it to pass into community ownership.
Buzzworks chairman Colin Blair said: “We are proud to support Friends of the Broadway and hope this further significant financial contribution will allow the group to continue its vital work in preserving this historic building, while creating an amenity for the community of Prestwick to enjoy for years to come.”
Cara Gillespie, Scottish Land Fund Committee Chair said: “This current round of funding demonstrates the importance of the Scottish Land Fund in helping both urban and rural areas to achieve their goals.
"SLF grants will enable these groups to unlock other funding and take positive actions to help their communities to thrive.”
Built in 1935, the Broadway Cinema is a surviving example of Scotland’s golden age of cinema.
Originally seating over 1,000 people, large parts of the building remain unchanged; the projection room appears as a time capsule, with reels and equipment in the same spot as when they were last used.
The last film was shown in 1976, and after that the building was put to many uses, including a leisure centre, amusement arcade, and squash courts.