The University of Westminster received a donation of £65,000 from the Ernest Hecht Charitable Foundation (EHCF) towards its Matinée Classics programme in Regent Street Cinema as well as a new community outreach project working with schools; Shakespeare in the Soho Poly.
The Shakespeare in the Soho Poly project, which received funding of £15,000, will involve screening National Theatre (NT) Live Shakespeare productions in the historic Regent Street Cinema (RGS) for 240 pupils from six of the University’s partner schools. This will be followed by interactive drama workshops at the Soho Poly theatre to enhance English literacy at key educational transition points aligned to the National Curriculum in Key Stages 3 and 4.
Westminster’s Matinée Classics community engagement programme received funding of £50,000. This project tackles loneliness and isolation for people aged 55 and over across London, by offering weekly film screenings on Mondays. Matinée Classics enhances social engagement, builds confidence and promotes physical and mental activity in older people. Each week, RGS screens a classic film and provides a space for the regular attendees to socialise with their peers at a subsidized ticket price. The programme is greatly valued by the regular attendees, with over 100 people attending each week.
One attendee said: “Isolation creeps up on you. I had no idea what profound effect Matinée Classics would have on my life. I now have something to look forward to every week and feel that I have made friends. This is just what I was looking for.”
Managing Director of RGS Billy Watson said: “This generous donation from EHCF is greatly appreciated by RGS as it allows us to further commit to the Monday Classic Matinée offer. These weekly screenings bring joy to a dedicated audience who value the community and social experience; films and friendship are at the core of this programme.”
Jules Attanayake from the University’s Fundraising and Development Team added: “I am immeasurably grateful to the Trustees of the EHCF for their unprecedented donation towards two of our key community engagement programmes. I have been fundraising for Matinée Classics since 2019, and having previously worked for older people’s charities for 12 years - reducing isolation in older people is an issue close to my heart. This donation will go a long way in securing the programme in the years ahead. Shakespeare in the Soho Poly will build on the interventions and projects we offer to our 109 partner schools. This project will be crucial in upskilling GSCE-level pupils in English literacy where we know that 55% of pupils in Westminster alone have English as a second language.”
The Trustees of the EHCF were happy to support the University’s work, benefiting local communities once more and said: “The University of Westminster has become a hub of community engagement that we have been proud to support over the years and are delighted that the Matinée Classics programme for older, isolated people continues to thrive.”
Both projects directly contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, 4: Quality Education and 10: Reduced Inequalities. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Learn more about community engagement at Regent Street Cinema.
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