Light House, based in the historic Chubb Buildings – a former Victorian lock factory – since 1991, shows current film releases and streamed live theatre as well as providing a welcoming space for community events.

CEO Kelly Jeffs expressed her sincere thanks to some of the partners, advocates and users of Light House who played a major part in supporting the awards application and giving such strong testimonials.

The award comes at a difficult time for the venue, which is a registered charity. Through growing local support and reaching new markets, the cinema has achieved a 12% increase in admissions over the past year. However, with the loss of public funding and cultural grants, this does not cover the full costs of the venue.

“Now that the public funding has gone – an income stream which since the start has helped our operating costs – we have to rely more on donations as well as the increased ticket sales,” says Kelly. “Sadly this still isn’t enough and until we can successfully source extra income through either business sponsorship or higher levels of active donations then reality will bite hard and Wolverhampton will be at risk of losing one of its most cherished and shining cultural assets.”