Lighthouse cinema returns to Liverpool

Report by Victoria Grimes

It may lie in the shadow of Anfield's most famous venue, but Liverpool Lighthouse has played its own vital part in serving the community here.

And it's thanks to that community that it's now being brought back to life as a cinema following an extensive refurbishment.

A crowdfunding campaign, along with donations from Liverpool City Council's Mayoral Fund and National Lottery has seen the reinvention of the venue's auditorium into a 430 seat cinema, in the hope of providing the local community with accessible entertainment.

It is also an arts centre and community hub which aims to support those who live in the area and bring people together.

Creative Director Rebecca Ross Williams said: ''We are called Lighthouse because our commitment is to some of the most vulnerable in the community.''

''There's such community support for this. We have a whole long list of volunteers who want to help us. ''

The site has been part of Anfield's heritage since the 17th century, when it began life as a fruit plantation. It later became an orphanage and then in 1931, a cinema.

It began its life as a place of entertainment thanks to cinema manager Charlie Brown, who was responsible for the birth of The Gaumont Palace, as it was known back then.

His grandson Andy says he would be thrilled that it was becoming a cinema again:

''My grandmother would oversee the production of the costumes and the scenery in the foyer. They were a real double act.''

''The cinema itself was a lot more than just a cinema, it was a community centre, a support network, they ran a number of other activities as well as the cinema, which is what's now still taking place.''

Liverpool Lighthouse are hoping to officially open with a special celebratory first screening on December 21, which would mark exactly 90 years since it was first opened by Charlie Brown in 1931.