ENTHUSIASTIC residents could play a vital role in the future of Tenbury's "jewel in the crown" by forming a "dynamic and forward looking" support group for the Regal Cinema.

Tenbury town councillors, who sit on the Regal and Entertainments Comm-ittee, have agreed to contact community organisations that regularly use the Regal to form a friends' group that could raise funds, increase its profile and help organise celebrations for its 70th anniversary next year.

Representatives of Tenbury Amateur Operatic Society, Tenbury Amateur Dramatics Society, Tenbury Town Band and the Tenbury Teme Valley Band, together with the Wall family who run the cinema, will be invited to form the support group if the full town council gives the scheme the green light next week.

Manda Graham, arts officer for Malvern Hills District Council, who attended the meeting said such a move would have many positive effects for the future of the Regal.

"There are so many enthusiastic people in the town who would love to give an hour or two to support the jewel in Tenbury's crown," Ms Graham said. "The town council would still own the building, but the idea is to have a dynamic and forward-looking group to work alongside it to look at the options of how the building can work within Tenbury's community.

"The group could take on the decisions of the Regal and Entertainments Comm-ittee and act on them, and could play a part in celebrating its 70th birthday next year."

Ms Graham said a partnership approach would benefit future grant applications.

"People from the Heritage Lottery Fund are very keen on having a community approach. They have suggested that the formation of a support group would be advantageous and would aid applications for funding grants," she said. "At the moment there are lots of opportunities being missed - lots of people are using the building but they are not truly involved in its running."

Ms Graham was joined at the meeting by Ben Bydawell, a regular patron of the Regal for the last 18 years, who is keen to get involved in such a group.

"The town council has done a fantastic job running the Regal - it's due to them that the building is still functioning," Mr Bydawell said. "But their money is limited and they don't have the funds to restore it to its former glory.

"At the moment repairs are done on a piecemeal basis as they are needed. The building is falling into a state of disrepair and there are considerable sums of money out there waiting to find a home."

The town council operates an on-going maintenance programme which includes a long-term roof cladding project and future projects include repainting the building's entrance.

Film shows at the Regal are expected to resume in late summer after new sound equipment has been installed. The UK Film Council has granted half the total cost of £8,000, Tenbury Town Council is contributing £3,000 and Malvern Hills District Council is adding a further £1,000.