The Clean Air Coleridge (CAC) campaign group sold out Crouch End Picturehouse with a Horrible Histories film screening almost a fortnight ahead of its national release.

Ham & High: Horrible Histories was shown at the Crouch End Picturehouse almost two weeks before its full release in aid of Clean Air Coleridge. Picture: Sam VolpeHorrible Histories was shown at the Crouch End Picturehouse almost two weeks before its full release in aid of Clean Air Coleridge. Picture: Sam Volpe (Image: Archant)

The grassroots campaign group have been working with Coleridge Primary School and local councillors to fundraise for a "green wall" of evergreen hedging which would run along the school's playground fence and protect kids from pollution on the busy road into Crouch End.

To help them on the way to their target, one parent used his job at movie distribution company Altitude to arrange a fundraising screening of the upcoming Horrible Histories: Rotten Romans film at the Tottenham Lane cinema.

That film worker, Hamish Moseley, who has a child at the school, told the Ham&High: "We had the idea and thought it would be a wonderful way of contributing. It's a way of giving Clean Air Coleridge a boost."

The Crouch End Picturehouse donated the screen on Saturday morning, while the event was helped by sponsorship from ADA Atelier, an interiors business run by another Coleridge mum.

Cllr Tammy Palmer (Lib Dem, Crouch End) raised the issue at a council meeting in March and she brought her own son along to the screening.

Cllr Palmer said: "We're really excited - it's such a nice event."

Far East Consortium (FEC) - the developer that has begun work on the Hornsey Town Hall refurbishment - are also among the businesses to have contributed to the the fund.

Cllr Palmer welcomed FEC's donation, saying: "Hopefully enough other companies will follow suit that the screen can be installed soon. Children deserve to play outside without breathing in toxic air."

The Clean Air Coleridge group was set up to campaign for improvements to air quality at the school.

Earlier this year, this newspaper reported that Coleridge's lollipop lady had resorted to wearing a gas mask to cope with the pollution outside each morning and evening.

Installing the evergreen hedging needed to protect the playground will be a mammoth undertaking - CAC is aiming to raise in the region of £28,000. Although proceeds from Saturday's screening have yet to be counted, so far CAC has raised £4,000.