A NEW and necessary chairlift has been unveiled at the Royal Manor Theatre on Portland, after two years of hard work to fund the instalment.

Cllr Kate Wheller was invited along with Cllr Sandy West and other organisations and members of the local community who had helped fund the chairlift.

Cllr Wheller had backed the project from the start, donating money from the council community fund when she was Mayor of Weymouth and Portland, and was therefore invited to cut the ribbon.

Len Strom, who managers publicity at the theatre, said: "I want to thank everyone for coming along to witness what we have been waiting for, a stair lift at this theatre.

"When I first started working here I always saw people finding it so difficult to climb those stairs and I felt so sorry for them.

"I immediately thought we have got to do something about it. It's taken two years and a lot of hard work but we have finally got it."

Len thanked all of the organisations and individuals who has helped fund the chairlift and made it possible for the theatre.

Some of them included Morrisons, Easton Methodist Church, Howleys Toy Store in Weymouth, The Co-Op, Holland ad Barratt, Crossways Travel, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Goulds in Littlemoor, Wilkinsons in Weymouth and many more.

Len also wanted to thank Ray Emery Architecture Service for the overseeing of the instalment.

Cllr Wheller said: "We donate the council community fund where we think it will be best used. A lot of people come and ask for community fund but I knew how many people this would make a difference to and that's the really important thing here, a relatively small amount of money is going to make an enormous difference to the theatre."

Cllr West, who has done a lot of fundraising for the lift, including setting up a charity box in Asda, jumped at the opportunity to test ride the new instalment.

She said: "This is absolutely fantastic. It's really impressive and it will help so many people. I've been on Portland for 49 years and when I came to this theatre I just thought it was great. I'm honoured to be here and to have done the fundraising."

Vice-president of the Royal Manor Theatre, Andy Straw, added: "This has been an ongoing process for a number of years and I want to thank Len for all his work as he has had a great deal to do and I also want to thank all our members. This is what the people of Portland needed."