A CAMPAIGN for a new Blackburn theatre has been given a £14,500 boost by local businesses.

Haslingden firm WH Good Electrical Engineering Services and Nelson-based Pendle Frozen Foods both agreed to sponsor rooms at the Red Brick Theatre, Ewood.

Campaign organiser Michael Berry said: "It's great that we are now attracting sponsors from other areas because this is a project that will benefit all East Lancashire."

Andrew Platt and Jeff Bailey of Pendle Frozen Foods Ltd presented a pledge to sponsor the foyer bar for £7,500 to Mr Berry at the Bolton Road theatre, and Paul Sumner of WH Good Electrical Engineering Services pledged to sponsor the green room for £7,000.

The old Empire cinema, known for 20 years as the Red Brick Theatre while the Trust raised funds to renovate it, will soon be re-named the Thwaites Theatre after the Blackburn brewery.

A major campaign to raise £300,000 was launched ten months ago and has already topped £165,000. The cash will unlock lottery funds of £1.3 million and Mr Berry hopes the theatre will stage its first show in 2001.

He said: "We are hoping for a major donation from a Manchester firm soon and several other businesses are also interested in getting involved."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.