I am writing in connection with your article 'RSPCA in serious financial difficulties' [Gazette, February 18] and to correct the comments from the RSPCA about Pinewood Studios, which are incorrect.
One of the key objectives of the corporate responsibility of The Pinewood Studios Group is to ensure that all those who want to work in the film, television and wider creative industries have the opportunity to do so.
Recently, The Pinewood Studios Group has initiated schemes such as the Iver and Iver Heath Youth Project, which provides for young people in the immediate vicinity of Pinewood Studios to have real work experience in anything from underwater filming to sound post-production, and sponsorship for the Iver Heath Drama Club.
We are also in the early stages of putting together the Pinewood Group Apprenticeship Scheme and, as part of Project Pinewood, we are in discussion with the National Film and Television School and Skillset to create a Screen Craft Academy.
This will be the first of its kind in Europe.
In order to build on these initiatives, we have decided that our nominated charity for 2009-2011 will be First Light Movies.
This organisation is the UK Film Council's lottery funded film making initiative, providing expertise and funding to help five-19 year olds make films. Further information can be found on www.firstlightmovies .com
This was clearly communicated to the RSPCA, and I am disappointed, given the support this studio and my colleagues, often in their own time, have given it to date that it should misrepresent our position.
ANDREW M SMITH,
group director, corporate affairs, The Pinewood Studios Group,
Pinewood Road, Iver Heath.
