'At-risk' Cheltenham Playhouse given £25k grant by council
A community theatre has been given a council grant after announcing it would close without urgent funds.Cheltenham Playhouse announced last month that it needed to raise an initial £50,000 by the end of June as it did not have the "depth of funds" required to survive.Neil Burge, acting chair of the Board of Trustees at Cheltenham Playhouse, said the "first milestone is within reach" after receiving a £25,000 grant from Cheltenham Borough Council, which owns the theatre.Ultimately, Cheltenham Playhouse, which will celebrate its 80th birthday in 2025, hopes to raise £100,000 by the end of the year.
A long-term masterplan had been devised by new theatre trustees but financial support is needed to keep the doors of the 180-seat Cheltenham Playhouse open.The oldest parts of the Grade II listed Regency building date back to 1806, and the former swimming baths still exist underneath the auditorium.Izaac Tailford, cabinet member for economic development, wellbeing, culture, and public realm at Cheltenham Borough Council, said Cheltenham Playhouse "makes the world of art inclusive and accessible"."It's only right that we come together and do all we can to ensure the theatre has the funding in place to continue now and long term, for the benefit of our future generations," he added.
Mr Tailford added the council would be "working closely" with Cheltenham Playhouse to see what it can do to support it.Neil Burge from Cheltenham Playhouse said the theatre was "so grateful" for the grant."This grant has changed the outlook of our emergency fundraising and our first milestone is within reach, allowing us to think more positively," Mr Burge said."Along with the incredible donations we have seen from our community, this figure allows us to plan for a brighter future as we move to the second phase of our fundraising."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
EuroMillions: UK's biggest lottery prize is still up for grabs
There is still the chance for someone to secure the biggest lottery prize the UK has ever seen, after Friday's EuroMillions draw had no winners. The jackpot had rolled over to an estimated £208m, after Tuesday's £199m draw - which also would have been a record-breaking amount - had no winners. The winner would instantly become richer than Adele and Harry Styles, while also bagging the top spot on the National Lottery's biggest wins list. Housing raffles take UK by storm - how likely are you to win? Andy Carter, senior winners' adviser at Allwyn, said: "The EuroMillions jackpot is now capped, so any money that would have gone into increasing the jackpot now boosts prizes in the next winning prize tier. "We could see multiple UK players banking huge prizes for matching just the five main numbers and one Lucky Star." The previous largest prize pot was won by an anonymous UK ticket-holder, who took home £195m on 19 July 2022. Just two months earlier, Joe and Jess Thwaite, from Gloucester, won £184,262,899 with a Lucky Dip ticket. At the time, Joe was a communications sales engineer, and Jess ran a hairdressing salon with her sister. Mr Thwaite said he woke up at 5am as usual, and checked his phone to see an email saying, "Good news, you have won a prize". But he did not immediately wake his wife, choosing to let her sleep in. "I saw how much and I didn't know what to do," Mr Thwaite said. "I couldn't go back to sleep, I didn't want to wake Jess up, so I just laid there for what seemed like forever. I spent some time searching for property with no budget limit, which was a novelty!" When his wife woke up, she assumed the National Lottery app was wrong. 1:24 In February last year, Richard and Debbie Nuttall were revealed as the UK winners of a £61m EuroMillions jackpot - who at first thought they had only won £2.60. The couple from Lancashire split the £123m prize with a winner in Spain.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Shoppers are running to B&M to buy 1960s retro lamp that's 50p instead of £20
SHOPPERS are running to B&M to buy a retro 1960s lamp scanning for 50p instead of £20. Eagle-eyed customers could not believe their luck when they found a black lava lamp scanning for just a few pence in the bargain store. 1 The funky lamp comes with a special coloured wax mixture inside that moves around, creating a mesmerising effect. B&M's take on the retro light also comes with a bluetooth speaker, which lets shoppers play music through their smart device. The deal was shared on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains Facebook group, with many savvy shoppers praising the find. One customer said they "wanted two," while another said their local store never has deals this good. The lamp appeared to be scanning for £20 on shelves, but found the £19.50 reduction by using the B&M Scanner App. The tool allows customers to discover discounted items before the staff have even reduced them. Often, products will be marked down in the system, but the staff haven't had the chance to change display prices. It is free to download on the app store on to your mobile device. One shopper recently bagged you can bagged £20 furniture at B&M for just £1 by using the device. Another customers saved over £225 thanks to the B&M scanner app. B&M shopper rushes to buy energy-saving gadget scanning for £1 instead of £35 If you are keen to shop the lava lamp, you will need to head to one of B&M's 770 stores across the UK because the retailer does not offer home delivery. With that in mind it may be worth ringing up your local branch ahead of time to avoid disappointment. You can find your nearest B&M by visiting And that is not the bargain spotted at stores in recent weeks. Parents have been rushing to B&M to take advantage of its £1 toy sale. Savvy shoppers have managed to pick up everything from Sports Racer cars, Monster High bags, a toddler DJ set and a DIY jewellery kit in stores. HOW TO SAVE AT B&M The best time to get cut-price products is 10am on a Wednesday, according to one ex B&M manager. This is when staff slash items to as little as 10p to clear excess stock and make way for new products. Deals expert Tom Church said to keep an eye out for red sticker products as well. These are added to special buy products that have been reduced in price. It's worth signing up to Facebook pages dedicated to hunting for bargains from B&M and other discounters too. Two worth joining are B&M Bargains, Extreme Money Saving Deals and More, and Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK group. How to bag a bargain SUN Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to find a cut-price item and bag a bargain… Sign up to loyalty schemes of the brands that you regularly shop with. Big names regularly offer discounts or special lower prices for members, among other perks. Sales are when you can pick up a real steal. Retailers usually have periodic promotions that tie into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends, so keep a lookout and shop when these deals are on. Sign up to mailing lists and you'll also be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too. When buying online, always do a search for money off codes or vouchers that you can use and are just two sites that round up promotions by retailer. Scanner apps are useful to have on your phone. app has a scanner that you can use to compare prices on branded items when out shopping. Bargain hunters can also use B&M's scanner in the app to find discounts in-store before staff have marked them out. And always check if you can get cashback before paying which in effect means you'll get some of your money back or a discount on the item.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Arrgh you joking? Tesco pensioner stuns shoppers by bringing his pet PARROT with him to buy groceries
On a balance of probabilities, parrots are more likely to be spotted walking the plank than walking down the ready meals aisle of a major supermarket. But that was exactly the scene that greeted one customer, who was left stunned after spotting a pensioner with a colourful parrot perched upon his shoulder in his local Tesco. Named Bella, the 12-year-old exotic bird prompted the stunned man to capture his unusual encounter on video. Posting the footage to X, the astonished man can't help but exclaim, 'That is something unbelievable. Oh my God,' as he spots the red-and-green macaw. 'See the parrot, man, in Tesco,' he continues. After approaching the otherwise unperturbed owner, the man says: 'How are we uncle, you OK? Lovely parrot, man. How old is it?' After being told the bird is aged 12, the curious bystander asks whether the bird speaks. 'She does when she wants,' replies her owner. Man brings his parrot along with him on his Tesco shop 🦜🛒 (TikTok: mr_w1cked1) — UB1UB2 West London (Southall) (@UB1UB2) June 6, 2025 He went on to add that she could fly off 'if she wants to', but remained firmly on the man's shoulder as he casually walked down each aisle to pick up his groceries. 'That is good man, you've trained her well,' the surprised customer told the bird owner, before bidding him farewell. Green-winged macaws are the second largest parrots next to the hyacinth macaw and can reach flight speeds of up to 35mph. They have a very powerful beak which can generate a pressure of 2000 psi (pounds per square inch) and have the ability to crack open incredibly hard-shelled nuts, such as Brazil nuts with ease. Parrots mainly eat seeds, fruits, blossoms, buds, leaves, berries, nuts and sometimes bark - and do indeed enjoy the occasional cracker as well.
