An independent cinema received £385,000 worth of funding to support its ambitions to build a new community hub.

The Lexi Cinema, in Kensal Green, was granted the money as part of Brent Council’s neighbourhood community infrastructure levy (NCIL) scheme.

It will be used to develop a new community space – including a second screen – which will support local projects.

The cinema, which is run predominately by volunteers and donates 100 per cent of its profits to charity, was described as a “worthy” recipient of the NCIL funding by the council’s cabinet.

It hopes to raise the rest of the money to build the hub, which is estimated to cost more than £525,000, through a crowdfunding campaign.

As part of this campaign, the Lexi said: “We believe film can change lives, and cinema has a place at the heart of our community.

“Our neighbourhood has seen a massive increase in population, over the past decade.

“Overcrowding means increased loneliness, and isolation. We know our local families are struggling with the cost of living. This makes the Lexi Hub project vital.

“A trip to the cinema, volunteering on box office, catching up with friends in the bar or enjoying one of our many community screenings, we are helping to meet the needs of our changing community.”

The council’s cabinet approved grants for ten further projects in the borough, bringing the total allocation for this round of funding to £2.3 million.

It included a new ‘garden of peace’ in Willesden, support for special education needs and disability pupils, a programme tackling gangs in Brent and employment and debt management services.