A decade of progress which despite facing multiple obstacles along the way, we continue to grow and be the cornerstone to Wellington’s regeneration.
1st November 2012
In 2012 a campaign was started to ‘Save the Clifton’ cinema in Wellington. The proposal was to re-open it with theatre, cinema and arts/community centre facilities. In 2013 ‘The Clifton Community Arts Centre Ltd’ was founded as a Community Benefit Society with its committee tasked with acquiring the premises and regenerating the facility for the community.
1st December 2013
Every weekend almost without fail, directors and volunteers ran the stall in Wellington Market selling merchandise and shares; through their hard work, they gained support from over 600 shareholders.
30th April 2014
To help build community interest, the steering group of the project ran a series of screenings at Belmont Hall which proved popular.
28th September 2015
A petition signed by 2,700 protesters in a bid to save a former cinema was handed over to the council. The campaign received support from many in the community and also Only Fools & Horses actor John Challis, which raised over £32,000 to the fund.
23rd July 2016
When the fight for the Clifton was ultimately lost due to uncertainty surrounding the site, the determination for the project to succeed never wavered. The vision remained and a team of determined individuals worked towards ‘Plan B’, re-stating its opinion that Wellington needs a dedicated centre for culture and the arts. This brought the project to the former HSBC building at 1 Station Road.
1st September 2016
16th September 2017
27th April 2018
18th May 2018
21st August 2018
7th November 2018
Work began to turn the first floor of the former HSBC building into a cinema and bistro cafe. Telford-based building firm McPhillips were appointed for this phase.
1st February 2019
11th May 2019
20th March 2020
After less than 1 year of trading, we were forced to close temporarily due to the covid pandemic. During this time we continued our community support with care packages for NHS workers, operating as a takeaway only and hosted online virtual quizzes which proved popular.
22nd June 2020
In July 2020, we re-opened with additional restrictions of social distancing which restricted our capacity in the cinema and cafe.
1st November 2020
In November 2020, a one month lockdown was announced which resulted in us temporarily closing our cinema and operating our cafe as just a takeaway.
1st December 2020
Re-opened with social distancing and masks.
1st January 2021
In late December, we were put into further restrictions which resulted in a 3rd national lockdown.
22nd May 2021
Following the lifting of initial covid restrictions, we continued our progress with a push in the cinema industry with the iconic DeLorean car on display in the local square to co-inside with screenings of Back to the Future. This event raised eyebrows both locally and across the independent cinema industry and brought the community together at a time it was needed most.
30th September 2021
This event saw us host our first midnight screening at the iconic time of 0:07. We also hosted multiple red carpet evening screenings, limited-edition Aston Martin on display in the square, buffets and more. This was also our first day one release and proved popular.
21st December 2021
Awarded a grant of £1170 from Telford & Wrekin Council as part of their Climate Change fund. The funding assisted us to establish a kitchen garden at the back of our premises to bring the café menu ingredients closer to home.
18th January 2022
In 2022 we ran a friendly and supportive group for creators from beginners to semi-professionals with a chance to break out of the bedroom and meet people with similar interests. This proved popular and we hosted many talks with people in the industry.
22nd August 2022
After just entering into a bid for the Levelling Up Fund (LUF), we moved to build the required match funding through a re-launch of our community share offer with the community. This gained coverage from BBC Midlands Today and other local press and proved popular.
1st December 2022
With the first event screening being the Nutcracker.
12th December 2022
We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of our Founder Directors, Fiona Hunter, at the age of 74.
22nd December 2022
We successfully secured the freehold of 1 Station Road thanks to the support from the community and local councils.
17th March 2023
We learnt that we will be receiving a significant boost from the UK government’s Capital Regeneration Programme to refurbish the upper two floors of our building, enabling us to become a thriving cinema and arts centre.
17th April 2023
This achievement is a testament to the rapid and unwavering support from the community, and it marks a moment of reflection on the journey of Wellington Orbit from a simple idea to a thriving arts and cultural hub.
18th May 2023
We launched a community survey to help gain views on what the next phase should consist of, ensuring plans remain in the best interests of the community.
10th July 2023
As part of giving back and saying thank you to our supporters from the past decade, we announced our upcoming membership scheme called ‘Orbit WOW’. This will enable our supporters to gain benefits for a small yearly fee, and as a thank you, we waived the 1st year’s fee for existing shareholders. This scheme will launch publicly in the coming months.
14th September 2023
The project inception meeting between our phase 2 team, Telford & Wrekin Council representatives & BiT took place in mid-September, marking the start of our phase 2 development journey. This follows the news earlier this year that we were successful under the Capital Regeneration Programme (CRP).
3rd October 2023
Following 2 years of development, we’re delighted to launch Orbit WOW, a membership scheme that gives value back to our customers for a small yearly fee. Learn more: www.wellingtonorbit.co.uk/wow/
5th February 2024
The acquisition of our building marks an exciting new chapter in our commitment to delivering a vibrant arts and cultural centre for the community of Wellington and beyond. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our members, customers, staff, volunteers, Telford & Wrekin Council and Wellington Town Council, all of whom have supported us on our journey.
11th May 2024
To mark 5 years at 1 Station Road, we hosted an Open Weekend, giving members of the public the chance to explore the upper floors our building, whilst hearing about our plans for phase 2.
2nd April 2025
Our planning application has been approved enabling Phase 2 of Wellington Orbit to be progressed.
16th April 2025
The next stage of works to transform Wellington Orbit into a thriving cinema, arts and community hub is set to start later this month. After planning was successfully approved for the project, which is expected to complete in 2026, this next stage marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the venue.
2024 © Wellington Orbit. Wellington Orbit is the trading name of The Clifton Community Arts Centre Ltd, a Community Benefit Society registered with the Financial Conduct Authority under reference number 32224R.
VAT Registration number 307 5167 12
