Westlands Entertainment Centre in Yeovil has secured £38,926 from the government’s £1.57billion Culture Recovery Fund to implement covid-secure measures to allow the community access to the arts, culture and film.

This award is in addition to the £298,697 lifeline support grant received for the Octagon and Westlands in October last year on behalf of Arts Council England and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.Westlands Entertainment Centre was closed for the second time since December 26, 2020 and has welcomed the financial support, which is a lifeline to protect jobs and retain skills.

Arts and Entertainment Venue Manager, Adam Burgan, said: “Westlands is and will always be a community venue offering you the very best entertainment, from film to festivals. The period since March has been very worrying and difficult and while we have always tried to do whatever we can to continue being there for our communities this funding helps to protect the venues and people who work so hard to bring joy, entertainment and hope. It will help to ensure we can continue to be there for our audience, now and in the future”.

Adam added: “We are very thankful for the support we have received from the community over the past ten months, from our colleagues and Foyer Club volunteers who have continued to donate their time to our success and to the patrons that have returned since July to show their support for the venue whilst restrictions have allowed indoor cinemas to operate.”

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “From restoring Georgian lidos and Roman Baths to saving local screens and synagogues, our Culture Recovery Fund is helping to save the places people can’t wait to get back to, when it is safe to do so.”

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