Hello, I’m Keith. I’m working to bring the former Flutters Bingo Hall back as a welcoming, affordable community space for Rushden and the surrounding area.

The landlord has agreed to our proposed lease terms, subject to us raising £40,000 for Phase 1. The project is not yet a registered CIC, and the lease has not yet been signed. Our longer-term fundraising goal is more than £150,000, to support the project as it develops.

A space shaped by the community

We want The Ritz to be a place where people can meet, share ideas, discover new interests and feel connected to their community. Our plans include a café, an affordable room for community groups and businesses, bingo nights, and free or low-cost cinema. As the project progresses, we hope to equip the auditorium for screenings, theatre and live music, giving local performers and groups more opportunities to take part.

We plan to develop the site in stages. Phase 1 would focus on the café and back room. Later phases could include the first-floor bar and auditorium. The proposed lease also gives us the opportunity to explore taking on the main theatre at the end of the first year, if it is available and the project is in a position to do so.

We’re also hoping to work with local schools on creative projects and invite the community to share ideas about how The Ritz could be used. We want this to be a project shaped by local people—not simply a building opened to them.

How your support will help

We’re seeking donations, grants and investment to help make the project possible. Donations will support our plans to open the site in stages. Offers of time, skills, ideas and encouragement are welcome too.

GoFundMe’s payment, transfer and refund rules apply. If the project cannot proceed, we will seek to return donations, but whether a refund can be made may depend on whether funds have already been transferred and on the platform’s rules. Any cash donations that we cannot return are intended to go to a local charity chosen by a community vote.

The Ritz has the potential to become a place where neighbours meet, local talent is celebrated and community groups can thrive. Every donation and share brings us closer to making that possible.

Thank you for supporting the project.

Find out more at www.theritzrushden.co.uk.