A CINEMA run by volunteers is looking for more people to help out.

The Ritz Cinema, in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, has been running for eight years as a voluntary venture and is open almost every night of the year.

Four volunteers have left in the past few weeks and the cinema needs more people to fill up the rotas.

A wide variety of people are volunteers, including students doing community work for Duke of Edinburgh awards, young men from Azerbaijan learning community life, teachers, nurses and joiners.

Gerry Allen, volunteers co-ordinator at the cinema, said: "We have had another successful year and the showing of Calendar Girls has finished off the year on a very high note.

"We are ticking along quite nicely but we are still in need of a few more members of the community to help keep open what is the only cinema for miles around.

"It is a long way to York or Middlesbrough if you have to go there instead.

"We are very successful and we hope the public will continue to support us to carry on our success."

Volunteers have to spend two hours per fortnight at the cinema, where they open up at 6.50pm, sell tickets and show people to their seats. They also get free passes for the cinema.

Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Gerry on (01845) 522841.