Coronavirus: Chichester Cinema at New Park to shut for 12 weeks at least
Chichester’s Cineworld is also closing as part of the national cinema chain.
In a joint statement, Debbie Ford, chairman of the board and Walter Francisco, cinema manager at the Chichester Cinema at New Park, said: “As you know, the Prime Minister’s daily covid-19 (coronavirus) briefing on Monday, March 16 advised that we stop all non-essential social contact with particular emphasis on large social gatherings.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“It goes without saying that the health, safety and wellbeing of our patrons, staff and volunteers is paramount. Therefore the board have taken the decision to close the cinema with effect from Friday, March 20 until further notice.
“We will be cancelling all screenings and will be in touch directly with patrons that have already booked tickets from March 20 onwards. We will of course be offering refunds. However, if you would prefer a credit note to use on a future date when we re-open this is also an option. We thank the many patrons today who have offered their refund as a donation to the cinema.
“The cinema team will still be on-site for a limited time (yet to be confirmed) to process and cancel advance bookings and to answer any of your questions by telephone or email.
We are currently planning for a 12-week closure, but we will be guided by advice from the World Health Organization (WHO), Public Health England (PHE) and the UK Cinema Association (UKCA) and if we can re-open sooner, then we will plan for that and keep you informed too.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“This next few months will prove to be very challenging financially for a number of small businesses and charities like ourselves. However we’d like to reassure you that we will be paying our staff throughout this period of closure.
“Once again, thank you for your kind messages and support to date with regard to these unusual circumstances, stay safe and healthy and we look forward to welcoming you back to the movies very soon.”
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.