AstraZeneca’s Drive-in Cinema

Volunteers at the drive-in cinema.

From pharmaceuticals to films – AstraZeneca brought a touch of Hollywood glamour to their latest charity event.

Grease was the word for the Macclesfield company which staged a drive-in cinema, raising almost £1,200 for East Cheshire Hospice.

The 70s musical classic was shown after family cartoon favourite Trolls World Tour in the AZ Campus car park on Charter Way.

Around 75 drivers – each making a suggested minimum donation of £15 – enjoyed the entertainment with the sound played through car radios.

Covid restrictions meant the staple cinema diet of popcorn could not be sold so families took refreshments. Temporary toilets were provided and cleaned regularly under strict safety precautions.

Guy Camm, AZ’s Macclesfield Campus FM Development Manager, said: “We have a long-standing relationship with East Cheshire Hospice and wanted to carry on supporting them during the pandemic.

“A lot of our normal fundraising events and initiatives on the Campus have been put on hold so we’ve had to think of alternative ways of raising money for the Hospice in a Covid secure way.

“Employees had the option to watch Grease or Trolls World from the comfort of their car, ensuring the event could be completely Covid secure and socially distanced.

“We’ve had excellent feedback from the evening and can use it as a platform for future fundraising during these challenging times.

“The Hospice does a fantastic job supporting Macclesfield and surrounding areas with its support for people with life-limiting illnesses and we’re proud to support them.

“They’re an inspiration to us all and we’ll continue to work in partnership with them to make the most of the fantastic fundraising capabilities we have within AZ.”

AZ also raffled DVDs of the films to boost fundraising.

The drive-in cinema at AstraZeneca.

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