Trustees Report for the year ending 31st July 2013.

REGAL TENBURY TRUST LIMITED

A Charitable Trust Company No 7954848

Charity No 1148555

We are pleased to present our first Trustees Report for the year ending 31st July 2013.

In December 2010 Tenbury Town Council (TTC) received a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant for The Regal Cinema to repair and conserve the building and run a two year programme of community activities. The REGAL TENBURY TRUST LIMITED came into existence in September 2012 to manage the Regal Complex.

The formation of and transfer of operations to the Regal Tenbury Trust by Tenbury Town Council -  who remain owners of the building -  is recognized by HLF as key to bring an independent  business-like approach and potentially benefit from grant aid in support of future development.  Work has begun on long-term sustainability, maintaining the volunteer body, recruiting new members and maintaining effective training for them.  The value of our volunteers is recognized here and elsewhere in this report.                                                               

The Trust provided an area within the Regal for the Heritage Learning Project as an office and museum.  The space continues as a display area and where practicable access is maintained for the public.

The Trust has supported CineMonkeys and MiniCineMonkeys; children’s activities that are part of the Heritage Learning Project. These have introduced very young and young children to the cinema along with their parents and grandparents.

The Trust has the following objectives

(1) TO ADVANCE EDUCATION, UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF THE ARTS, INCLUDING AUDIO VISUAL ARTS PRIMARILY BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC OF WORCESTERSHIRE, HEREFORDSHIRE AND SHROPSHIRE.

(2) TO FURTHER OR BENEFIT THE RESIDENTS OF TENBURY WELLS AND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD, WITHOUT DISTINCTION OF SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, RACE OR OF POLITICAL, RELIGIOUS OR OTHER OPINIONS BY ASSOCIATING TOGETHER THE SAID RESIDENTS AND THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES, VOLUNTARY AND OTHER ORGANISATIONS IN A COMMON EFFORT TO ADVANCE EDUCATION AND TO PROVIDE FACILITIES IN THE INTERESTS OF SOCIAL WELFARE FOR RECREATION LEISURE TIME OCCUPATION WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF IMPROVING THE CONDITIONS OF LIFE FOR THE RESIDENTS.

(3) IN FURTHERANCE OF THESE OBJECTS BUT NOT OTHERWISE, THE TRUSTEES SHALL HAVE POWER TO ESTABLISH OR SECURE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMMUNITY CENTRE AND TO MAINTAIN OR MANAGE OR CO-OPERATE WITH ANY STATUTORY AUTHORITY IN THE MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT OF SUCH A CENTRE FOR ACTIVITIES PROMOTED BY THE CHARITY IN FURTHERANCE OF THE ABOVE OBJECTS.

Summary of Years activities

Main Auditorium

The Regal had 202 film screenings (excluding private hires) 38 live stage performances and 11 live to screen events.

The Regal hosted the Tenbury Film Festival as an outreach location of the Worcestershire Film Festival celebrating film and filmmakers. The Trust has worked with other local groups including

·         Tenbury Town Band

·         Teme Valley Band

·         Little Hereford Voices

·         Tenbury Floral Arts Club

·         Tenbury WI

·         Mandy Davis Cancer Support

·         Age Concern

·         Tenbury Primary School

·         Tenbury High School

·         Burford Primary School

·         Chantry School, Martley

·         Lindridge Primary School

·         Mistletoe Foundation

·         Tenbury Round Table

·         Worcestershire Jazz Orchestra

·         British Legion

In its first year the Trust has invested heavily in infrastructure.

·         Equipping the stage for live shows

·         Contributing funds for the digital cinema projector.

·         Installing satellite receiving equipment

·         Fitting foyer for café and bar use.

·         Purchasing furniture and crockery for the community function room

·         Addressing problems with the electrical supply system.

·         Purchasing an intruder alarm

·         Up-grading the fire alarm

·         Extending 3 phase power in the building.

·         Purchasing a computerised box-office system.

·         Installing data networks and telephone systems.

·         Providing a PA system to support all but the largest of shows

The Trust has initiated further works to improve the building in terms of its day to day functions, essential to operate efficiently, continuing to review what further investments are needed in terms of specialist equipment to improve service delivery e.g. a new lighting board.

The Community Function Room - the Regal

This year has seen a review and development of the function room as a resource for the community and addressing the question of how to make this building more in harmony with the main theatre.

We engaged representatives of the local community to explore this further with focused meetings, and an 'open day’ to coincide with Tenbury's Apple-fest.

We intend to set the direction of the function room as a 'studio' with activities more closely themed with cinema and theatre.

 The actions we have taken have been:

§  To make immediate improvements to the room by tidying it up and creating a more arts atmosphere with pictures and a small stage.

§  To encourage its use for events - meetings and small private parties which link the private showing of a film with a celebration

Future Plans

We aim to continue to encourage the use of the room

Make grant applications to raise funding to continue the improvements such as more mobile staging, lights and sound system

Fund raising events such as bingo

Small events and shows with a more intimate atmosphere than the main auditorium offers.

Issues

The building is not particularly attractive with poor natural lighting and heating so our longer term ambition would be for a more purpose built studio.

In the meantime we are trying to maintain a balance between the two venues so that one complements rather than competes with the other.

General

It is generally accepted by community users and business groups that in its first year the Trust has brought benefits to Tenbury Wells and its neighbourhood but remains mindful there is more to do. It intends to improve support for its bedrock of volunteers and widen its community appeal. It has made changes to its initial management structure and looks to further improve this.  

Regal Trust Report February 2014

The upward trend in sales continued throughout February with a 35% increase in audience numbers over the same period last year.  We had particular success with Mandela : Long Walk to Freedom, Disney’s Frozen and our first screening from the NT Live, War Horse.  Abbamania also played to a capacity house.  Our own fundraising Variety Show also contributed over £2,500 to our contingency fund.

This coming weekend, we start our run of films shown as part of the Borderlines Film festival.  The festival was covered by the BBC in their Midlands Today program last Friday, and the Regal featured quite heavily.

In March we receive our first tourist coach party with a large group from Ledbury WEA. The group will be enjoying a cream tea, followed by a tour and visit to the museum, a short talk on Art Deco in general and the Regal in particular and they will also be watching a film.  

The Trust has now purchased a replacement lighting desk, more suitable to our operation.  The money for this was kindly donated by Ken Pollock from the WCC Divisional Fund and by the Blakewell (Spar) Foundation.  The Trust has also received a grant from the Kingspan Community Trust to support the MiniCineMonkeys programme with additional active play equipment and funding towards staffing costs for the next two years.

The work by the building contractors to remedy the plaster problems still remains ongoing.  The work on repairing the doors and lobby floor in the community centre started today.  The repairs to the front doors are still outstanding.  

Vandals have caused some damage to one of our display cabinets nearest the bus stop.  There may be some delay in repairing this as the local company who produced the cabinets have several months backlog of work.