Helensburgh cinema buyout campaign provide major updates

The 'Save the Tower' steering group was set up earlier this year in a bid to secure a long-term future for the Tower Digital Arts Centre in Sinclair Street.

In July, it was confirmed that the group had been successful in its Stage 1 application to the Scottish Land Fund, and are now working to a deadline of November 11 to submit the second stage of the application.

The grant has allowed the team to carry out due diligence on the viability of their plan to bring the cinema into community ownership for the benefit of people in Helensburgh and the surrounding area.

The Save the Tower Steering group (not all pictured) set up earlier this year (Image: Tom Watt) They say the current owner, Brian Keating, is "contemplating a transition to retirement due to circumstances beyond his control".

And over August and September, they held three successful community engagement events to update the public on what's been achieved so far.

Judith Eele from Community Enterprise and Brian Sayer, chair of the newly formed limited company (Image: Save The Tower Steering Group)

Donna Hicks from the Save the Tower Steering Group told the Advertiser: "This is a crucial point in the process for us.

"We have had a verbal evaluation from DM Hall who looked at the building. They are still to give us the full report but their verbal evaluation is between £220,000 and £240,000 which is achievable.

"The other bit of good news is that we had a full building conditions survey done by a company called Adam Muirhouse Surveyors.

"We were concerned that there might be things lurking in the shadows. Things that we weren't really aware of that could completely be a gamechanger for us."

The last community engagement event was held earlier this month (Image: Tom Watt) She continued: "The report came back with an estimate of £41,000 of repairs that needed done, some of which we know have already been done and others we know we can take on ourselves.

"If successful with the Scottish Land Fund, then they are likely to provide up to 90 per cent of building evaluation.

"We have a sub group looking at funding and a number of applications, and we are predicting that we are looking at a shortfall of around £50,000 that we are looking to fundraise."

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After the submission of the second stage of the application, the group are now working towards getting the views of young people in Helensburgh.

They are holding a fundraiser night on Friday, November 15 that will feature four local bands and are hoping people in Helensburgh can continue to show their support.

The group have thanked the community for their continued support (Image: Tom Watt) Over 350 people have attended the community engagement events put on by the Save the Tower Steering group (Image: Save The Tower Steering Group)

Donna added: "We have a programme of fundraising events between now and January. We are extremely grateful to the owner of the building to allow us to use the building for these events.

"We found through the survey that we are missing the voices of people under 25. We are now looking at ways we can engage with young people because we want this to be as much for them as it is for the rest of the community.

"This fundraiser will have four local performers - Radhika, Miriam, Lost in Translation and The Reinaissance -  who span the ages of 18 to 23 and are former pupils of Hermitage Academy.

"It will be a great way for people who have never been in the building to come and see a live gig.

"We are also delighted to give these young talent an opportunity to perform in a space that they deserve to have."

For more information about the fundraiser night, visit their Eventbrite page at eventbrite.co.uk/e/bandwidth-live-music-fundraiser-tickets.