Revive Oswestrys ONLY community cinema

The environment

With the opening of the cinema, les people now travel to Shrewsbury and Wrexham to go to the cinema.

The local economy

We have successfully redirected cash flow so that more money remains within Oswestry rather than leaving the area. As a result, increasing numbers of people are choosing to visit the cinema, not only for entertainment but also as a place to spend locally. This has created a positive ripple effect: the revenue generated is reinvested back into the community through our commitment to sourcing local produce and supporting nearby businesses and service providers. In this way, the cinema acts as a catalyst for strengthening the local economy, helping to sustain jobs, encourage local enterprise, and keep financial resources circulating within Oswestry.

Volunteering, jobs & education

Through our structured programme of weekly screening sessions, we have been able to establish a clear and effective pathway into employment opportunities. Across 10 screenings delivered each week, we have consistently engaged participants and developed a growing pool of 50 committed volunteers. This sustained activity has not only strengthened participation and engagement but has also enabled us to identify skills, match capabilities to organisational needs, and ultimately create three well-defined job roles. These roles reflect both the needs of the programme and the strengths of the volunteer cohort, demonstrating the positive impact of our ongoing screening process in supporting structured workforce development.

Arts, culture & heritage

The project contributes to Arts, Culture and Heritage by establishing the cinema as a significant cultural asset within Oswestry. It operates across multiple creative sectors, including film, visual arts, performance, music, and media, thereby strengthening the town’s cultural infrastructure and supporting sustained engagement with the arts. The cinema functions as a cultural hub, extending beyond traditional film exhibition to include a wide programme of cultural and community events such as theatre broadcasts, live music performances, debates, Q&A sessions, art exhibitions, and selected sporting events. This “event cinema” model broadens access to cultural experiences and encourages participation from a diverse range of audiences, including minority and underrepresented groups. In addition, the project supports both popular and niche cultural forms, helping to foster cultural diversity within the town. It also contributes to the development of shared cultural identity by hosting events and screenings that may become locally significant or culturally iconic over time, thereby contributing to both local and wider cultural heritage.