Clevedon’s cinema is £43,000 short of its £600,000 roof appeal target thanks to a National Lottery donation.
A £99,999 grant was this week made available by the Lottery to the Curzon Cinema, which aims to reach the target so work can begin to restore its leaky roof at the end of February.
The community cinema had previously secured nearly £239,900 towards the roof appeal from the National Lottery Heritage Fund in September.
Despite repairs over many years, rain water has come through the roof and damaged the grade-II listed building.
The ornate tin panelling, which reaches throughout the building and is the most complete example known to survive in England, is rusting and deteriorating.
The Curzon’s collection of nearly 500 cinematic artefacts, some of which are incredibly rare, is in peril.
The cinema’s chief executive, Susannah Shaw, said: “We are delighted to have received this grant from The National Lottery Community Fund – this project is finally within reach now.
“For the past seven months we have received such a positive message from our community about the importance of this venue to them and their families and how they value their involvement in the social history of the Curzon.
“We can now begin work to save this building for them and future generations.”
The cinema, in Old Church Road, missed out on a £2.2million bid from the Heritage Lottery Fund in October.
Earlier this month the cinema’s roof appeal received a £20,000 funding boost from its art on the tiles auction and Clevedon Town Council.
Built in 1912, the Curzon is one of the UK’s oldest, purpose-built cinemas.
After securing a safe roof, the Curzon wants to raise a further £2million to restore the cinema to its former glory, with plans to improve the seating, install a second screen on a restored balcony and a lift to all floors.
formerly Mad Cornish Projectionist.