Appeal total going up

NEARLY £19,000 has now been raised by the Kenton for Keeps appeal.

The Kenton Theatre in New Street is trying to raise £35,000 to match a grant from the Arts Council England’s emergency response fund. It has received £18,958 since launching the campaign in October.

The theatre has been closed since March because of the coronavirus pandemic and will not re-open until next year.

Julie Huntington, who chairs the Kenton trustees, said: “There is no man or woman in town that would want to see the theatre go under and when it really matters everybody rallies around. It’s important to get the message out there that we are going to be here for a long time, but we do need some help over this period.

“We have had lots of offers of support and different people coming forward. There are lots of actors and professionals offering their services. We can’t wait to get back. We are constantly cleaning and we spent an awful lot of money on a covid assessment for the theatre so we can reassure people it is safe for them to return when the time is right.”

To make a donation, text “KEEP KENTON” and the amount you wish to give to 70085 or visit kenton
theatre.co.uk/kentonforkeeps