THE first public meeting of the Dunfermline Cinema Project attracted a great crowd as support grows for a community cinema in the town.

Our Press, Take Action! campaign inspired a group of local volunteers to take action and kickstart a bid to fund, build and operate an independent cinema "for everyone" in Dunfermline.

More than 1,000 fed-up film fans in West Fife signed our petition calling on Odeon bosses to cut ticket prices at the Fife Leisure Park venue, the most expensive cinema in Scotland.

And they made their voices heard to the Dunfermline Cinema Project team at Baldridgeburn Community Centre last Wednesday evening.

Shona Oliphant, one of the group’s volunteers, told the Press: “Since launching the project and being featured in the Press last week we’ve gained a huge amount of extra volunteers and a mountain of goodwill.

"Almost daily we have been conducting online consultations on everything from the name, the format of the building’s interior, all the way through to what our first movie should be.

"It’s important we consult and get a range of feedback early on as this will help us make the right decisions.

"So far, our thinking has been ever evolving – with regard to accessibility for example – not just hitting the legal minimums but going above and beyond to deliver something everyone can be proud of."

The project aims to fund itself with a crowdfunder this summer after attracting a large following on social media.

Aiming to show the magic of the movies from the latest to the greatest, they have a 10-phase plan in place that requires an initial £25,000 to secure a venue in Dunfermline and begin turning the building into a cinema space.

Once the final £40,000 target is reached, a certified cinema projector will be installed as well as a screen and sound system.

After comfortable seating and facilities for food and drink are fitted, the venue will then launch fully to the public.

The plans have been backed by Dunfermline and West Fife MP Douglas Chapman, who threw his weight behind our campaign when we launched it in February.

He said: “There’s a real appetite amongst the public to see a community cinema get off the ground.

"Between the actions of the newly-formed Dunfermline Regeneration Trust and the Dunfermline Cinema Project, there is certainly a lot of energy being put into getting a community cinema off the ground. It really has captured the imagination, especially if it could be delivered at a fair and affordable price.”

For more information on how you can donate to the group and their plans, visit: www.dunfermlinecinema.com.