Buckie Pupils Get Parliamentary Recognition For Cinema Initiative

Pupils from Buckie Community High School (BCHS) and the local Regeneration Group have had their efforts to bring cinema back to Buckie recognised in the Scottish Parliament.

Banffshire & Buchan Coast SNP MSP Stewart Stevenson has now tabled a Motion in Parliament congratulating the pupils at BCHS on their initiative and the local Regeneration Group who took the matter forward. The Motion has already gained cross-party support from SNP, Labour, Independent, Lib Dem and Conservative MSPs.

Stewart Stevenson with his God-Daughter at the first show

The cinema showings – which started in November - were the culmination of a process started when three Modern Studies pupils at Buckie Community High School wrote to Mr Stevenson lobbying for Buckie to have a cinema once again. The SNP MSP took the matter up with Film Mobile Scotland, a company who bring cinema experiences to those communities without their own cinema, and director, Ian Brown stated he would be extremely interested in bringing this service to Buckie, but required the support of the local community to do so.

Mr Stevenson then involved the Buckie Regeneration Group and local councillors Gordon McDonald and Sonya Warren, along with Buckie Community High School Rector Neil Johnston. As a result, Buckie film-enthusiasts have now been able to see top movies such as The Martian with Matt Damon and the latest James Bond film without having to travel to Elgin or Aberdeen.

Commenting, Stewart Stevenson said:

“This has been a real community effort in action and all those involved in bringing this project to this stage deserve huge thanks, but none more so that the Buckie High pupils who started the whole thing off by writing to me.

“This Motion is a way of recognising the initiative of the pupils and the efforts of the local community to make this happen. It is an excellent example of a community-led initiative responding to the community’s own needs and is a great example to other towns. I’m pleased to have been able to play a small part in helping make this happen.”