The Assembly Hall Theatre may be well-known for the many popular shows and productions it offers to local residents, but the work it achieves in terms of fund-raising may not be so notorious.

Each year during the pantomime run, the theatre has made huge efforts in raising funds for many charities, both local and national.  At every pantomime performance, theatre staff collect for charities from patrons as they exit. The money raised  from this year’s pantomime was quite phenomenal, considering the current credit crunch climate:

Hospice in the Weald and Variety Club of Great Britain: Amount raised in total was £3,403.62, split between both charities.  Over £14,000 has been collected for various local charities during the past four years by the theatre during the pantomime run.

The Mayor’s charity collection which donated this year to The Pickering Cancer Drop-In Centre and The Tunbridge Wells and District Multiple Sclerosis Society raised £250 on the opening night of the pantomime.

Last year during the pantomime run, the charities which the theatre supported were SANDS (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society) and the Variety Club of Great Britain.  The total amount raised which was split between both charities was £3,275.20.

In addition to the annual charity collections taken by the theatre during the pantomime, the theatre also managed to collect almost £2,000 in 2007 to enable Stephen Addley, a disabled man with cerebal palsy who was heartlessly robbed of his savings, to ease the blow of this callous crime.

Brian McAteer, Theatre Director at the Assembly Hall, was particularly concerned to hear of Stephen’s plight:

“All the staff here at the theatre were shocked and appalled to hear of the heartless theft which Stephen was the victim of.  Both Stephen and his mother, June, have been regular customers at this venue for many years and are well known to all of us.  We felt we had to do something to try and alleviate Stephen’s misfortune, so we decided to do bucket collections after every show to raise as much money as we could for Stephen.  Personally, I don’t see this as a charity offering – more as a gesture of thanks and solace to a loyal customer and friend”.

With the money raised, Stephen was able to go on his dream sailing holiday to the Carribean.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT SHEILA RYALL, MARKETING & PUBLICITY MANAGER, ASSEMBLY HALL THEATRE, TUNBRIDGE WELLS.  TEL: 01892 554444. MOBILE: 07874364335.
EMAIL:  Sheila.ryall@tunbridgewells.gov.uk