Wigan borough church turns into community cinema for festive film screening

The pews at Atherton Parish Church are set to become cinema seats for a special family screening of Home Alone.

The event begins at 4pm on Saturday, December 16 and will see the church turned into a community cinema, complete with food and drink, a raffle, and prizes for the best fancy dress or Christmas jumper.

While it is free to attend, organisers hope people will make a donation towards the £2,000 needed to repair the clock on the church tower, a much-loved element of Atherton’s heritage.

The Reverend Tracy Marshall said: “We are delighted to be hosting, along with Leigh Film Factory. The screening is free, but we hope residents will consider supporting us with a suggested donation of £3 per ticket and join us for a fabulous family evening of entertainment.”

The event has been supported by Atherton South and Lilford councillors John Harding, Lee McStein and Debra Wailes.

Coun McStein : “We are proud to have sponsored this festive film screening by Leigh Film Factory at Atherton Parish Church. This event is a welcome addition to Atherton’s Christmas calendar, alongside other well-attended events such as the Christmas markets and last week’s walking nativity.

"While the event is free, we’re hoping anyone attending can offer a donation to support the much-needed repairs to Atherton’s historic church clock.”

The Chris Columbus-directed Christmas classic Home Alone features Macaulay Culkin as eight-year-old troublemaker Kevin, who is mistakenly left home alone

and must defend his home against a pair of burglars on Christmas Eve.

The film is a staple of the festive season and a perfect treat for all the family.

Atherton resident and event co-ordinator Paul Blinkhorn said: “We’re really looking forward to bringing a cinema experience to Atherton. Home Alone is jam-

packed with laughs, tears and comic escapades in equal measure, so it’s certainly an ideal choice for families wanting to spend some quality time together over Christmas without needing to break the bank.”

Tickets are available for free at www.ticketsource.co.uk/st-john-the-baptist-church-atherton-parish-church/t-moqpgnm.

Depending on availability, it may be possible to get tickets at the venue on the day.