Magical old Cross Hands cinema with rich history needs help to survive

The building dates back more than 100 years and used to be funded by local miners giving up 1p from their weekly pay packets

A small independent cinema set in a village hall which first opened more than 100 years ago is desperately trying to raise funds so it can continue to welcome families for generations to come.

Cross Hands Public Hall and Cinema in Carmarthenshire, originally constructed in the early 1900s, is operated by volunteers from the surrounding community.

The building boasts a rich heritage having welcomed and entertained audiences for generations but the continuing cost of living crisis and escalating energy bills mean volunteers have faced a tough battle in recent years to keep the charming old venue afloat. Stay informed on Carms news by signing up to our newsletter here.

While the original hall was constructed some 20-odd years earlier the hall you see today in Cross Hands opened in the 1930s thanks to the Miner’s Welfare Institute with the upkeep of the hall being funded by local miners contributing 1p a week from their pay packets.

Decades later the demise of the coal industry across Wales meant the hall closed in 1984 and was left empty and uncared for for a number of years.

However, after a lot of hard work which resulted in securing grant money to rejuvenate the venue, it was able to reopen in April 1996 with a live concert performed by the Cross Hands District Ladies Choir and local schoolchildren.

The hall’s main role today is that of an independent cinema and having come through the other side after the Covid-19 pandemic decimated a number of small businesses and enterprises this wonderful attraction now faces a new battle.

It needs a new projector. The problem is a modern screen of that size is likely to cost around £100,000.

“We have struggled to turn things around in this current financial climate but we are doing well with the last couple of years witnessing growth, development of community projects, and a flourishing community of volunteers who provide friendship for each other as much as for the community,” said Dr Kirsty Bilski, trustee and secretary of Cross Hands Hall, Cinema, and Community Centre.

“We are not only ‘surviving’ now but we are starting to ‘thrive’.”

But to survive in the long-term the cinema needs funds to improve its technology. A fundraising page has been set up welcoming donations of different amounts.

For £20 you can have your name on the cinema’s website, for £150 you can have your name on a plaque at the venue, or, if you’re feeling really generous or just really love watching movies you can donate £5,000 and that would grant you unlimited movie passes for two people for life.

“Despite our recent hard won successes we are desperately in need of a new projector,” added Dr Bilski.

“Our old projector is becoming harder to maintain and spare parts are difficult to obtain. We need updated digital technology which will be more energy efficient and meet the standards and requirements of the contemporary film industry and our audiences.

“Our current projector is well maintained and carefully ‘nurtured’ however we are aware it is at the end of its expected lifetime. It is now critical for us to raise these funds to buy a new one so our future community can enjoy the magic of the cinema as much as we do.

“This building has been at the heart of the community for over 100 years. We have lots of ideas around how this new technology might enhance what we are able to offer and are excited for what the future may bring.”

You can donate to help save the long-term future of Cross Hands Public Hall and Cinema here.