Biggar Little Cinema was founded in February 2011, and is run as a community cinema on a non-profit basis by members of Biggar Rotary.

As a not-for-profit organisation, our aim is to disburse all the surplus from our screenings as charitable donations, to local organisations and Rotary projects.

We also aim to provide the opportunity for members of an isolated rural community to enjoy good films without having to make a round trip of 60 miles or more to the commercial cinema.

Films are shown in the Corn Exchange, Biggar, generally on the last Friday and Saturday of each month at 7.30pm - but do check on our films page for exact dates and times.

Our films are shown in high-resolution digital quality, and projected using the latest digital equipment on to a full-size cinema screen. To match the exceptional quality of our picture, our sound is Dolby stereo using high definition loudspeakers. The Corn Exchange is well-known as an excellent venue, with very comfortable cinema-style seating and a cosy atmosphere. A full bar is available both before and after each screening, with a lounge area for relaxing and chatting with friends. All in all, Biggar Little Cinema offers a perfect location - and all proceeds go to support local organisations and Rotary projects.

Our Donations

Our objective is to use the surplus from our showings to donate to local organisations and Rotary projects. To date, we have been able to donate over £32,000.

The sections below give the details of the donations we have made in each year.

Donations in 2011

In addition to donations made earlier in 2011, on the evenings of the screenings of our October film we were delighted to present cheques to a number of worthy causes. The total of the donations we were able to make during the year was £3,070.

Cheque presentation Friday 1st July 2011

l to r: Bill Gourlay (Biggar Rotary Club), James Dawnay (Biggar Museum Trust, Tom Matthews (Biggar Little Cinema), Stewart Houston (Biggar Little Cinema)

Cheque presentations Sunday 30th October 2011

l to r: Tom Matthews (Biggar Little Cinema), Sandy Gilchrist (Biggar & Clydesdale Audio News), Andrew Goldie (accepting on behalf of Spirit Aid), Tom Grassie (Shirati Hospital Energy Project)

Cheque presentations Monday 31st October 2011

l to r: Stewart Houston (Biggar Little Cinema), Mike Chad (Biggar Theatre Workshop), Sue Pacey (Biggar Youth Project), Nettie Maxwell (Biggar Albion Foundation)

Donations in 2012

Following on from a very successful first season in 2011, we were delighted to be able to make further donations in 2012, and the cheques were again presented on the evenings of the screenings of our October film. The total of the donations we were able to make during 2012 was £2,200.

Sunday 28th October 2012

l to r: Stephanie Whatley (Biggar Babies and Toddlers Group), Brian Curle (Biggar Little Cinema), Kath Brotherstone (Biggar Gala Week Committee), Patricia Ramage (Biggar and Symington District Girl Guiding), Tom Matthews (Biggar Little Cinema), Stewart Houston (Biggar Little Cinema)

Monday 29th October 2012

l to r: Reverend David Easton (Biggar Kirk), Tom Matthews (Biggar Little Cinema), John Costigan (Abbeyfield House), with pupils from Biggar Primary School on behalf of the Gelai Bomba Project in Tanzania

Donations in 2013

After another successful season in 2012, we were again delighted to be able to make a number of further donations in 2013, and the cheques were again presented on the evenings of the screenings of our October film. The total of the donations we were able to make during 2013 was £3,700.

Sunday 27th October 2013

l to r: Stewart Houston (Biggar Little Cinema), Brian Curle (Biggar Little Cinema), Manhal Alnasser (Hand in Hand for Syria), Firas Alsehli (Hand in hand for Syria), Tom Matthews (Biggar Little Cinema), Ann Mathieson (Biggar Museum Trust), Alison Somerville (Biggar RBL Pipe Band), Malcolm Macmillan, member of the Rotary Club of Portobello (representing Rotary End Polio Now Appeal)

Monday 28th October 2013

l to r: Stewart Houston (Biggar Little Cinema), Eric Carlyle, member of the Rotary Club of Biggar (representing Rotary Foundation), Allan Bartholomew (Biggar United Juniors Football Club), Tom Matthews (Biggar Little Cinema), Allan Cosh (Biggar United Juniors Football Club), Brian Curle (Biggar Little Cinema), Moira Struthers (1st Biggar Tinto Scout Group), Cameron Sutherland (Biggar Big Band), Claire Chapman (Wateraid)

As a result of a collection at our November 2013 screening, we raised £350 to help finance a Rotary Shelter Box to go to the Philippines to assist those who have lost everything as a result of Typhoon Haiyan.

Donations in 2014

Another successful season in 2013 enabled us to make a number of further donations in 2014, and the cheques were presented at our screening on Saturday 1st November. The total of the donations we were able to make during 2014 was £2,540.

Saturday 1st November 2014

Donations in 2015

In April and May 2015, we were able to make two donations.

The first was £590 to fund a Rotary Shelter Box which was sent to Nepal to help provide shelter to the hundreds of thousands of people who were sleeping on the streets following the devastating earthquake.

The second donation was £500 to assist with the capital cost of establishing a public convenience in Biggar, following the decision by South Lanarkshire Council to close all public toilets at the end of June 2015 as part of its cost reduction programme.

At our October screening, we made donations totalling £2,590.

Friday 30th October 2015

Donations in 2016

Another successful season in 2015/16 enabled us to make a number of further donations in 2016, and the cheques were presented at our screenings on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th October. The total of the donations was £4,100.

Donations in 2017

After another successful season in 2016/17, we were able to make a number of further donations in 2017, and the cheques were presented at our screenings on Friday 27th and Saturday 29th October. The total of the donations was £3,850.

Donations in 2018

We had another successful season in 2017/18, and we were able to make a number of further donations in 2018. The cheques were presented at our screenings on Saturday 27th and Sunday 29th October. The total of the donations was £3,900.

Donations in 2022

Due to the Covid-19 closure of The Corn Exchange, we were unable to make donations in 2020 or 2021. However, we were delighted to have been able to hold our special Charity Screening of The Sting on 23rd April 2022. As a result, we were able to donate £1,000 to Maggie's Centres, the cancer support charity. In addition, a further £140 was very generously donated by audience members, bringing the total for the evening to £1,140.

l to r: Stewart Houston, Brian Curle and Tom Matthews with Andy Anderson from Maggie's Centres

Donations in 2023

On 22nd April 2023, we held a Special Charity Screening of Local Hero, and were able to donate £1,000 to MND Scotland, a charity which funds research into Motor Neurone Disease and supports all those affected by MND.

l to r: Brian Curle (Biggar Little Cinema), Debbie Atkins (Trustee, MND Scotland), Stewart Houston (Biggar Little Cinema).