Cube Cinema Freehold FAQ

Where do I go to donate?

Click here to go to our donations page.

How do I contact the Cube Freehold team with questions, suggestions or comments?

Email us at freehold@cubecinema.com

back to FAQ

What is Microplex Holdings?

Microplex Holdings Bristol Ltd is an Industrial and Provident Society for the Benefit of the Community (IPS BenCom), a non-profit, community-based organisation with an open, democratic structure. It was formed by Cube volunteers in 2011 with the express purpose to purchase and hold the freehold of the Cube. It has been formed as a Community Land Trust with a strong statutory asset lock and exempt charitable status with HMRC. Its founder members and Board are predominantly current and former Cube volunteers. The Cube Cinema as a legal person also has a permanent position on the board of Microplex Holdings.

The aims of Microplex Holdings as laid out in its Rules, are:

  1. To acquire and manage the land and building currently leased by the Cube Cinema Ltd, for the benefit of the Bristol community and the pursuit of amateur arts, in perpetuity.
  2. To ensure that the land and building are not sold or developed except in a manner in accordance with number 1.
  3. To provide a secure tenancy for the continued operation of the Cube Cinema Ltd, and thereafter as an arts centre.
  4. To conserve and renovate the building to improve access and expand its potential as a unique amateur arts venue for cinema, music, theatre, education, performing arts and community activities.

back to FAQ

Are you by any chance a registered charity as I can do a gift aid form for you if that is a the case.

We have an exempt charitable status which indeed allows us to claim back Gift Aid. You can either fill in the form in person at the Cube, or online here, whichever suits.

back to FAQ

What is a Community Land Trust?

A Community Land Trust is a non-profit, community based organisation committed to the stewardship and affordability of land, housing and other buildings used for community benefit in perpetuity.

Under the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 a CLT is a corporate entity established for furthering the social, economic and environmental interests of a local community by acquiring and managing land and other assets in order to a) provide a benefit to the local community and b) to ensure that the assets are not sold or developed except in a manner which the trust's members think benefits the local community.

By separating the ownership of the land from the ownership/use of the building or activities in it, a CLT aims to limit the effects of inflationary and speculative land value increases on the affordability of workspaces and services in the community, as the value of land, planning gain and other equity benefits are permanently locked in, on behalf of the occupiers and future users.

CLTs form part of a long British tradition of seeking ways to protect the asset value of land for the benefit of the community, beginning in the 19th century with the work of Chartist land company, Octavia Hill and John Ruskin to defend and preserve the commons from the threat of complete enclosure. For more information see http://www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk

back to FAQ

How much money have you raised to date?

See our almost-live counter, here.

back to FAQ

What happens if you don't raise the full sum by Dec 2013? I'm interested in organising some fundraising events and/or making a private donation, but I'd be interested to know the current shortfall contingency plan before I do so.

The deal struck with the Cube's landlord, Beaver Estates, gives us an exclusive Option to buy which runs till December 2013. While we are working full tilt to raise the buying price outright from public donations, grants and fundraising events, we also are pursuing a number of strategies to put in place in the case of a shortfall at the time of Option expiry. These options include loan finance from mainstream lenders (Triodos Bank or Co-operative and Community Finance), loans from private individuals interested in supporting the project, or a limited Community Shares issue.

While we are confident about raising the full amount through these means, we have also thought through a worst case scenario. The Cube needs disabled access to all areas, improved heating in the auditorium, new toilets. In the unlikely event that we don't raise the full amount, all funds raised will be used as a source of capital to carry out building and operational developments to enhance the public's experience of the Cube. ALL money donated, raised, secured, given, borrowed or earnt with the express purpose of the capital purchase of the freehold of the Cube Cinema, Bristol, England WILL NEVER be used to fund Cube operations or to service debts accrued by operational activities of the Cube.

back to FAQ

What if I want my donation to go only to building purchase ?

In the unlikely contingency we fail to buy the building, we are making the following offer:
We will return any individual donation - IF requested - if & when we shutdown the campaign.

How it will work:

Why we are doing this: This offer is in response to feedback from a few interested donors, who have indicated they are willing to contribute larger sums but on the condition that we hit our goal. In that unlikely eventuality - & in the interest of fairness - this offer is backdated to include any individual donation to date. However, we are not expecting to fail!

How to donate?

back to FAQ

What happens if you raise more than the target of £185,000?

If we reach £185,000 we will be very happy but will continue fundraising for a different set of goals - all the above improvements plus the inevitable costs involved in installing a digital cinema system which distributors are imposing on us. It would be great if we could ultimately raise £220k.

back to FAQ

If the Cube really has 40,000 members, why can't they all donate £5, then you would have the building in the bag?

While 40,000 membership cards have been issued throughout the Cube's 14 year existence, some of these will inevitably have been to one-off visitors, or reissues to existing members who lost their cards in the wash.

However what we do have and are proud of is an active mailing list (meaning verified email addresses of members who choose to continue receive our weekly mailouts) of over 14,000. This is a material proof of a current and committed membership.

So yes, via that kind of maths if every one of our members contributed £13.50 we would have the building in the bag.

back to FAQ

Can I hope for comfortable seats when you buy the building?

To answer this question specifically, NO. The seats in the auditorium are part of the historic fixtures and fittings. New seats will need to comply with new legislation on such things and the result will be fewer seats with less character, resulting in unacceptable changes to the integrity and character of the Cinema.

The Cube has historically developed areas of the building to increase use, improve spaces, develop capacity and creative programming. Owning and controlling the buildings and land will lay down foundations for much more ambitious alterations and improvements. We may never wish to increase (or decrease) capacity in the auditorium, but we plan to enable better access to ALL areas, public and artist, auditorium and stage; as well as better heating, toilets, bar and work areas and spaces, tools, facilities, programmes and resources for members and volunteers.

back to FAQ

Why don't you have a charity number? Is it illegal to ask for donations without one?

As an Industrial and Provident Society Microplex Holdings has applied for and been granted exempt charitable status with HMRC (see What is Microplex Holdings?). This means we don't have a charity number but in all other ways operate identically to a registered charity.

back to FAQ

The Gift Aid page is not encrypted.

So far we haven't felt the need to fork out the £50 or so required to pay for a SSL certificate from a faceless corporation, but maybe this is something we should reconsider. In the meantime there's a direct Paypal link here. People can also provide their gift aid information by snail mail.

How do I donate from abroad?

You can donate with Paypal (see the donations page) OR use our international banking details for a direct bank transfer:

Triodos Bank 
   Bank Name and Address:
   Royal Bank of Scotland
   Vostro Clearing Section
   Level 5
   2 1/2 Devonshire Place
   London
   EC2M 4XB

Sort Code: 16-00-34 
Swift/BIC: RBOSGB2LXXX 
IBAN: GB11RBOS16003410000856 
Reference: 20282338 
Account Name: Microplex Holdings 

Beneficiary address: Microplex Holdings, 4 Princess Row, Bristol BS2 8NQ.

back to FAQ

Why don't you use crowdfunding schemes, like Kickstarter, or Indiegogo?

We are considering these systems and where and how we can implement them in our fund raising plans. However in the Cube spirit of DIY, we have chosen to start off by implementing our fundraising tech inhouse, using our own Sparror server which resides in the building, rather than relying on commercial systems.

back to FAQ

I can help you with fundraising/press/creative/legal/financial advice...

Great. Get in touch with the team: freehold@cubecinema.com

back to FAQ