A 21-strong team of local recruits has been appointed to work at The Regent in Redcar as it prepares to open in October.
The recruitment process was a team effort between officers from Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council and the operator, Merlin Cinemas. With a significant number of applications received, the Council’s Employment Hub was on hand to help Merlin to shortlist quickly.
After carefully selecting 100 CVs, applicants were invited to an innovative recruitment day, where they met with the newly appointed General Manager Chris Collier and Assistant Manager Neil Bates. Neil will be returning to The Regent having operated the original cinema before it closed in 2018.
It was confirmed at a recent Borough Council meeting that The Regent would open next month though the final date is yet to be announced.
Chris Collier said:
“We had a fantastic response to the jobs advert, and we would like to thank everyone who registered their interest and took the time to attend the recruitment day. We’ve pulled together a strong team with more employment opportunities potentially on the horizon.
“We’re really looking forward to getting started and to welcome everyone back to The Regent.”
More good news for The Regent came in June when it won “Building Project of the Year” at the Constructing Excellence North East awards. The Regent will now go into the national finals in London in November.
The Regent is home to three screen rooms with state-of-the-art audio-visual technology, and the auditoria include allocated disabled spaces.
Its second-floor screen room and café-bar, with panoramic views of the stunning coastline and a sheltered terrace, are all fully accessible via a lift.
As with the old cinema, parking is available on Turner Street, Newcomen Terrace and Station Road, with several bus stops and the train station all within a short walking distance.
Construction of the £9.6million Regent was part of the £20million Welcome to Redcar programme funded by the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority.
Cllr Chris Gallacher, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth at the Council, said:
“It’s fantastic that a team has been appointed, including Chris Collier as the General Manager and The Regent’s long-time friend Neil Bates as the new Assistant Manager. The recruitment process went really well, and I’m incredibly proud of the working relationship between the council and Merlin Cinemas to ensure The Regent gets the best start possible.
“To top that off, I want to wish The Regent the best of luck in the national finals of the Constructing Excellence awards, which are coming up in November. The project achieved the regional award in June, and I’m hopeful we can bring the national award home.”
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said:
“It’s great to hear that The Regent has now secured a workforce full of local talent, including former operator Neil, who will bring a wealth of experience to his role. This shows how, as well as improving our communities, all of our funding – including this £9.6million – is ultimately helping to create good-quality jobs.
“The new cinema will play a big part in giving people a proper reason to come to the town and spend money in our brilliant local businesses, with a knock-on effect that will further boost Redcar's centre."