Run-down theatre receives £100,000 donation

An anonymous donor has pledged £100,000 towards saving a run-down theatre in Berkshire.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has said £300,000 is needed to buy the Novelle Theatre in Sunninghill and has given campaigners until October to raise the funds.

A group of campaigners, Save Novello Picture House, have been leading efforts to save the theatre. They hope to restore the building and link it with neighbouring Cordes Hall, under a single charity.

Campaign coordinator Alan Everett told the BBC the “very generous donation” is “the best start we could have hoped for”.

The 100-year theatre has been listed as an Asset of Community Value, meaning local groups are given first refusal before it can be put on the open market. If the required funds are not raised, the building will be marketed for commercial development.