Monday 7th March, saw the launch event of Skylark Media’s latest training films for the NHS at The Steam Museum, Swindon. The 2 x 20 minute films are to be a central part of the NHS and Borough Council’s Diversity in Care resource, reaching out to Swindon’s black and ethnic minority carer community.
Sharon records the voice over
The first film gives health and social-care professionals an insight into the issues faced by ethnic minority carers. You can see the film on our case studies page. The second is for carers themselves, with the aim of showing them that they are not alone, that there is help out there and how to find it.
In order to make the films engaging we took the brave step of inviting one of our interviewees to present the show. Sharon Gitau did not let us down. The sympathetic way she cares for her own Grandmother, coupled with her natural elegance and relaxed style made her a natural spokesperson for carers in her community.
And this is the thing that made these films so compelling – the close relationship and trust that we built up with the carers that we filmed. In large part this was due to the efforts of Linda O’Gorman, the NHS carer liaison officer, whose work with individuals and community groups opened so many doors.
Jo Haywood of Skylark Media was the producer/director of the films, “I am particularly proud of the mix of community life, music and dance with the interviews, it really makes the films enjoyable to view. We filmed African drumming during Black History Month, dance music at the Hindu Samaj Dance Festival, even a gospel choir.”
The successful pitch for this work resulted from a partnership between Jo Haywood of Skylark Media and Dave Harries of Bizview. “From the moment we started work on the pitch, I knew this would be an ideal project for our combined talents,” said Jo Haywood. “The combination of our talent for considerate journalism with Dave’s project management skills ensured a successful production that was very satisfying to work on’.
This is the second NHS contract won by this partnership, and they are hoping it will lead to many more.
The videos and booklets are available from the Swindon Carer Liaison team and also on-line at www.swindon.nhs.uk.
