A renowned seafront cinema is to be returned to its former Edwardian glory after receiving £1.65 million from the Lotto.

The small band of dedicated volunteers who have fought to restore the Worthing Dome were last night celebrating after the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) announced the long campaign had been a success.

The money will enable the Worthing Dome and Regeneration Trust to restore the venue to its Twenties heyday, repairing the Grade II-listed building whose future had looked uncertain for a number of years.

Trust chairman Belle Stennett said: "We are ecstatic to have finally had the green light from the HFL.

"This grant will enable us to put the Dome firmly back on the map as one of the premier seafront attractions for all the community to enjoy.

"It has been four-and-a-half years since we started so this has been a long time coming."

The trust hopes the grant will herald a new era at the Dome, which has been through many turbulent times since it opened in 1911 as an entertainment hall and public room.

In 1969, Worthing Borough Council bought the cinema but the ensuing 30 years proved to be the most precarious in its history.

In the late Eighties, the Dome came under threat from a proposed redevelopment by the Burton Property Group, which intended to demolish the building and replace it with a shopping centre.

A Save The Dome campaign raised a petition of 35,000 signatures and the building was given Grade II listing but was still forced to close in 1993 because of unsafe wiring.

The trust bought the Dome for £10 in 1999 and reopened the foyer and cinema auditorium to the public.

Since then, campaigners have tirelessly given their time to raise money towards a £500,000 target, a condition of securing the largest grant ever given out by the lottery fund in West Sussex.

The group has organised quiz nights, an open day, a murder mystery night, a wine-tasting evening, chocolate tasting, a Just A Pound collection-box scheme and a series of events to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee, including the Jubilee Gala Film Night.

Mrs Stennett said: "This is the result of hours and hours of work and dedication and real sacrifice.

"We've still got £150,000 left to raise but we have done remarkably well.

"Now we've got the thumbs-up from the HLF, others will not be so nervous in supporting the trust."

Work will start in January 2005 and is expected to be completed the following December, when the Dome will reopen as a multi-entertainment venue.

The complex will house one large screen cinema in the main auditorium, two smaller rooms for specialist cinema or conference use and an arts caf and bar.

There will also be a tourist information office and a visitor centre, which will explore the history of the building and cinema in Sussex.

The Dome is one of only five cinemas remaining in Britain which date from the era of silent film. It is considered the best example of its kind and of national importance.

The trust says it wants to open up the Dome to the widest possible audience, which means keeping prices at a "reasonable level", creating access for the disabled and running a children's committee to discuss how younger visitors can enjoy the cinema.

Last year, a second 118-seat auditorium, called the Electric Theatre, was opened at the Dome, providing up-to-date facilities and boosting the number of screens in the town to four.

Michael Houghton, acting manager for HLF in the South-East, said: "This is a really exciting project and we're thrilled to be able to support it.

"As well as restoring this wonderful building, the trust will ensure it continues to be used for its original purpose for many years to come.

"It will also provide an important boost for the regeneration of the area as a whole and will, we hope, inspire other people to think about how HLF might be able to help them look after their heritage.

"The coastal strip between Brighton and Chichester has submitted relatively few applications to the lottery for funding, and we're keen to ensure a more equal distribution of lottery players' money."

Tuesday October 14, 2003