LOCALS have shown their support for a beloved town centre cinema after a poor summer film slate led to them fearing they may have to close the doors for good.

This summer has seen a reduced release schedule for new films, as the industry struggles to deal with the ramifications of last year’s writers’ and actors’ strikes, which saw production halt for months as workers fought for better wages and against the rise of generative AI.

The effects of this have been widespread, with local cinema operators now reporting low revenue during the typically popular summer holiday season.

Parkway Cinema, on Eldon Street, has been heavily affected its with owners now reducing all standard ticket prices as they hope to avoid full closure.

Co-owner of the cinema, Rob Younger, told the Chronicle: “We were expecting it a bit because we’d seen the summer slate and it was slim pickings.

“There were two family films that released just before and at the beginning of the school holidays and no others since.

“That’s how we and most cinemas survive during summer, people want to come and see things like Despicable Me 4 but they’re not going to see it 15 times.”

Following a Facebook post on Monday - where Rob expressed his concerns and gave the simple message of ‘use us or lose us’ - countless people came forward to offer their support.

“The response to the Facebook post has been amazing,” he added.

“We’ve had people coming forward offering donations and suppliers offering to reduce costs.

“Our box office company have even waived costs for the rest of the year.

“It’s very humbling, I knew we were well thought of but I didn’t realise just how much.”