IT IS extremely unfair on our community that patrons of the Pier Cinema should suffer the consequences of Penarth Arts and Crafts and the Pier Pavilion facing financial challenges.

I strongly feel we should act now before it is too late.

Where a crisis of this nature occurs in other towns and even villages, the people get together and start a Community Cinema by taking over care and control of the existing premises.

This is a simple process with lots of free guidance available from the British Film Institute and their non-profit-making distribution channel Cinema for All.

The cinema may be taken over by (and run entirely by) the community volunteers as a cooperative or other mutual ownership structure. Start-up grants may be available.

Should you share these concerns and would like to volunteer to help save your cinema, you would be most welcome at an informal open meeting at the Pilot Pub Restaurant at 7.30pm on Monday, March 20.

Philip Rapier

Penarth Town councillor