ONE of the district’s leading arts and entertainment venues received an early Christmas present to the tune of nearly £1000,000. Forum Cinema in Hexham was awarded £98,902 in funding from the government’s culture recovery fund after a successful application earlier this year. The funding comes as a lifeline for the cinema as it continues to experience months of closure and uncertainty. Reacting to news of the government grant, David Nixon, cinema manager at Forum Hexham, said: "We are extremely grateful to receive support from the Cultural Recovery Fund during this difficult time. “This essential support helps secure our future so that we can continue to bring the best films to Hexham and engage with every sector of our community, once we are able to reopen and throughout 2021.