High hopes for economy and culture as Orbit cinema launches in Telford

Chief officer Sophie Eades said the launch of The Orbit in Wellington last weekend had been a huge success, and that they were very proud of the reaction they had received.

Now she and her colleagues are looking to the future and at what the cinema might bring to the town.

"People will be coming into the town, but they might be visiting the other shops as well," she said.

"For the locals, it's enabling them to walk from home to new daytime entertainment. In the town centre there's just shopping, eating and drinking, and now they've got a cinema.

"We are also in a very large building that would otherwise be empty."

It has taken thousands of volunteer hours, lots of hard work and more than a little patience to bring cinema back to Wellington for the first time in three decades.

And despite the already positive reaction, the team is not resting on its laurels.

They are aiming to turn the cinema's currently unused upper floors into art, drama and dance rooms for the community.

And they will also hold a series of culture nights, including food and a film.

These will include nights dedicated to Bollywood and polish cinema, as well as a LGBTQ+ night.

"We're planning to do those immersive screenings five or six times a year," Sophie said.

"You're bringing different cultures into Wellington. It's about bringing the community together and making it more cohesive."

The Orbit was set up after years of campaigning by a group trying to bring back the much-loved Clifton cinema.

The Clifton, which was in Bridge Road, opened in 1937 and shut in the late 80s.

The former HSBC bank in Station Road became tThe Orbit, and plans are being drawn up to convert the top two floors into rooms for arts, drama and music.