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Freemason's Pantomime Sponsorship Gift

We are proud to announce that for the second year running we have been nominated by Freemasonry in the Community to receive special funding towards the promotion of our annual pantomime.

At a cheque giving charity night the Freemasons presented cheques from the region of the East Lancashire Masonic Lodge and also the Blackburn and District Freemasons totalling a staggering £9,500.

Freemasonry in the Community

Chief Executive, Harriet Roberts said she was humbled to receive such a generous donation when there are so many other worthwhile causes in the area. 

'As the theatre moves towards the centenary it is gifts like this that will help to secure the future of the theatre for another 100 years,' she said.

'It's moving to think that when the pioneers behind the renovation and the restoration of the Empire began this project it was an impossible task to persuade and funders to take the project seriously.  In the past quarter we have had a seal of approval in the form of cheques from the two biggest funders to charity, The National Lottery and also Freemasonry.  That's testament to the hardwork and professionalism that is put in everyday by so many volunteers.

She explained that as with most theatres the fortune of the Empire relies on the success of the pantomime to balance the profits and losses from the rest of the year.  With a marketing and publicity budget funded by the Freemasons which will include a competition for all schools to take part in, its hoped that this year will be another box office success.   Next week the theatre will announce a fantastic competition for children to take part in designing the costume for Daisy the cow in Jack and the Beanstalk.  There will be a prize worth £3,000 for the winning school in partnership with Huntley's Moo to You Ice cream.

In the past two years local Freemasons have held two fundraisers at the theatre raising a total of nearly £8,000.   Harriet also encouraged local charities and community organisations to get in touch with the theatre to discuss how they can benefit from staging an event in the theatre particularly during the forthcoming centenary year of community activities in 2010.