Lumiere Cinema Saved: Community Comes Together to Keep Havering’s Beloved Cinema Alive
A much-loved Havering cinema has been given a lifeline after two kind-hearted residents stepped in with the £18,000 needed to help pay its electricity bill — ensuring Lumiere can open its doors for another day.
There are cinemas.
And then there is Lumiere.
For countless people across Havering, Lumiere is far more than somewhere to watch a film. It has become a meeting place, a community hub and somewhere people can simply walk through the doors, sit down, have a chat with friends and feel at home.
And today, that much-loved community heart was facing closure.
Run by Spencer, Lumiere has become known throughout the borough for being a cinema with a difference.
Everyone knows Lumiere.
And everyone knows Spencer.
For years, he has poured his time, energy and passion into making the venue about much more than movies. His mission has always been to create somewhere that belongs to the community — a place where people can come together, socialise, enjoy entertainment and simply spend time with one another.
It is a place that caters for everyone.
Which is why the news that Lumiere was facing closure left Spencer and members of the community devastated.
The cinema urgently needed £18,000 towards its electricity bill.
The appeal spread rapidly across Havering.
People began sharing the news, asking how they could help and, most importantly, rallying behind Spencer — a man many residents regard as a true community hero.
Then came an extraordinary act of kindness.
Two local residents stepped forward and provided the £18,000 needed.
Just like that, Lumiere had been given a lifeline.
The doors can remain open.
The lights can stay on.
And Havering’s much-loved cinema can live to see another day.
For Spencer, and for the many people who have supported Lumiere, it was an incredibly emotional moment.
Because this is not simply about saving a cinema.
It is about saving a community space.
Lumiere has become part of the fabric of Havering.
It is somewhere families can go.
Somewhere friends can meet.
Somewhere people can enjoy a film.
And somewhere residents can simply sit down and talk.
In a world where community spaces are disappearing, places like Lumiere matter.
They matter enormously.
The cinema has also received support from local MP Andrew Rosindell, who told the Havering Daily:
“Lumiere is a valued independent community cinema in Romford and it is deeply concerning that them being landed with such a large electricity bill has placed the cinema’s immediate future at risk.
I want to pay tribute to the two very generous members of the public who stepped forward to cover the cost and prevent an immediate closure. That shows the very best of Romford’s community spirit.
Yet, if we want local venues like Lumiere to survive, we also need local people to use them. Independent cinemas cannot continue without the support of the communities they serve.
So I would encourage people across Romford to consider visiting Lumiere, buying a ticket, enjoying a film and supporting a genuinely local business.
We all want to see a thriving town with places for people to meet, socialise and enjoy themselves. Supporting our local cinema is one simple way we can all help make that happen.”
Andrew Rosindell M.P.
Havering Council Leader Councillor Keith Prince also told the Havering Daily:
I want to thank the two members of the public who stepped in and covered the bill. Their generosity has helped keep the doors open and is a brilliant example of local people supporting something that matters to their community.
However, the best way we can all help secure Lumiere’s future is by using it. I would encourage residents to go along, watch a film, take family and friends and support this excellent local venue.
Cllr Keith Prince A.M. – Leader of Havering Council
The intervention by the two residents has given Lumiere a vital breathing space — but the message from the community is clear.
We cannot take Lumiere for granted.
If we want this extraordinary venue to remain at the heart of Havering, then residents need to support it.
If you have been thinking about going to the cinema, go to Lumiere.
If you want to see a film, book your tickets at Lumiere.
If you want to support a local business that has given so much back to its community, support Lumiere.
Because today we came frighteningly close to losing something very special.
And thanks to two incredibly generous residents, we didn’t.
But this should be a wake-up call for all of us.
Community venues do not survive on goodwill alone.
They survive when the community uses them, supports them and stands behind the people who dedicate their lives to keeping them going.
Lumiere is a gem in the heart of Havering.
It is much-loved.
It is much-needed.
And it belongs to all of us.
So please, Havering — let’s support our cinema.
Let’s keep the lights on.
Let’s keep Lumiere alive.
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