Action: Advocacy

Stats

• There are 783,000 young people (aged 16 to 24 years) in the UK who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).^[1]
• Young adults are more likely to feel lonely than older age groups, says a study from the Office for National Statistics.
• The research found that almost 10% of people aged 16 to 24 were “always or often” lonely – the highest proportion of any age group.^[2]
• The proportion of young people reporting that they find it difficult to get by financially decreased to 7% in the period 2014 to 2015 from 15% in 2009 to 2010 but the proportion of young people living in households at risk of poverty increased from 19% in 2008 to 25% in 2015.
• The proportion of young people reporting symptoms of anxiety or depression increased from 18% in the period 2009 to 2010 to 21% in 2013 to 2014; young women were more likely than young men to report symptoms of anxiety or depression.
• On social connections, the proportion of young people who said they had someone to rely a lot on, decreased from 80% in the period 2010 to 2011 to 76% in 2013 to 2014 but the proportion of young people who agreed or strongly agreed that they belong to their neighbourhood, increased from 50% in 2009 to 2010 to 57% in 2014 to 2015.^[3]
• 10% of children and young people (aged 5-16 years) have a clinically diagnosable mental health problem, yet 70% of children and adolescents who experience mental health problems have not had appropriate interventions at a sufficiently early age.^[4]
• Children with special educational needs (SEN) are twice as likely as other children to be bullied regularly. (IoE 2014).^[5]
• A poll of 1,000 18-25-year-olds found money, appearance and career worries as well as fears about the future mean a large chunk of their time is spent feeling anxious or under pressure.
• But one in 10 feel they have no-one to turn to discuss their concerns, leaving them to face their fears alone.^[6]
• It is thought that around 13% of young people may try to hurt themselves on purpose at some point between the ages of 11 and 16, but the actual figure could be much higher.
• In 2014, figures were published suggesting a 70% increase in 10-14 year olds attending A&E for self-harm related reasons over the preceding 2 years.^[7]

^[1]Young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), UK: August 2018
^[2]BBC – Loneliness more likely to affect young people
^[3]Young people’s well-being: 2017
^[4]Mental health statistics: children and young people
^[5]Learning disabilities explained – research and statistics, Mencap
^[6]Young adultsspend more than six hours a day “stressed out”, The Independent
^[7]Self-harm statistics, SelfharmUK

Organisations

UK Young Artistsis a registered charity that champions the next generation of creativity, supporting collaboration and intercultural dialogue, ensuring a vibrant and diverse creative future for the UK.

BFI Film Academyis open to young people from anywhere in the UK and from any background, and offers a real chance for talented 16-19-year-olds to be part of our future film industry.

Into Filmsupports teachers and educators to achieve a wide range of effective learning outcomes in their use of film. Their programme includes a network of extra-curricular film clubs, resources for use in clubs and in the classroom, training opportunities, a cinema-based film festival and annual Awards.

UK Youthis a leading national charity, committed to providing access to appropriate, high quality services in every community so that young people are empowered to build bright futures, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Young Enterprise supports young people to develop the employability skills that employers demand, by delivering enterprise and financial education programmes in schools, colleges and universities.

Association for Young People’s Health(AYPH) is the UK’s leading independent voice for youth health.  They work to improve the health and wellbeing of 10-24 year olds.

Young Minds is the UK’s leading charity fighting for children and young people’s mental health.

National Youth Agencychampion, professionalise and enable youth work, striving to find better, more inventive ways to empower more young people.

The Prince’s Trustis a youth charity that helps young people aged 11 to 30 get into jobs, education and training.

Centrepointhelps vulnerable young people by giving them the practical and emotional support they need to find a job and live independently.

MAC-UKis a mental health charity for excluded young people, taking what works in the clinic to the streets.

Groundwork  Youth is a platform supporting 16 – 24 year olds to take action in their local environment. They do this by providing opportunities and experiences that develop leadership potential and connect youth with like-minded people who also want to make a difference in their communities.

And they have a list of 14 organisations championing youth work and supporting young people

Stats

‘Neurodiversity’ is a term meaning people have different brain types. The term neurodivergent can be used by people who have neurological condition such as, but not limted to: autism, ADHD, dyspraxia, dyslexia and discalculia. It is also common for  neurodivergent conditions to be co-occuring (a person can have two or more conditions).

Autism is a  ‘spectrum’ condition, with a wide range of characteristics, but which nevertheless share some common features in terms of how people learn and process information.

• Without understanding, autistic people and families are at risk of being isolated and developing mental health problems.
• Autism is much more common than many people think. It is currently estimated there are around 700,000 people on the autism spectrum in the UK – that’s more than 1 in 100¹. If you include their families, autism is a part of daily life for 2.8 million people.
• Autism doesn’t just affect children. Autistic children grow up to be autistic adults.
• Autism is a hidden disability – you can’t always tell if someone is autistic.
• Autism is not something which can be cured, but the right support at the right time can make an enormous difference to people’s lives.
• According to a survey in 2021, Less than half of autistic children are happy in school. [2]
• Three quarters of parents and carers (74%) said their child’s school place did not fully meet their needs. [2]
• There are over 160,000 autistic pupils in schools across England.* Over 70% are in mainstream school, with the rest in specialist education, home educated or out of education altogether. [2]
• Government figures show that autistic children are twice as likely to be excluded from school either for a fixed period or permanently as pupils with no special educational needs. [2]
• Seven in 10 autistic children say that the biggest thing that would make school better is having a teacher who understands autism. [2]
• 70% of autistic young people have mental health problems, compared to 13% of their non-autistic peers [3]
• Autistic people are four times more likely to experience loneliness and social isolation.[3]
•  Only 16% of autistic adults in the UK are in full-time paid work [7]
• The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published data in 2020 that shows just 22% of autistic adults are in any kind of employment [4]
• Autistic spectrum conditions are not classed as a learning disability in themselves, however, approximately 20-30% of people with a learning disability also have autism and people with autism are more likely to experience mental health problems. [6]
• Around 70% of autistic people have at least one physical or mental health issue, including anxiety disorders, epilepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but these are often unrecognised. [6]

^[1] What is Autism, National Autistic Society

[2] School Report 2021, National Autistic Society

[3] World Autism Acceptance Week, 2023, National Autistic Society

[4] New Data on the Autism Employment Gap, National Autistic Society

[5] The Autism Act, 10 years on, National Autistic Society

[6] People with a Learning disability, autism or both, NHS England

[7] The Autism Employment Gap, National Autistic Society

Organisations

Autism in Mind support individuals who are both newly diagnosed with autism or diagnosed during childhood but have been unable to access support or services during their adult lives.

Autism Independent UK helps to increase awareness of autism to the notice of all, together with well established and newly developed approaches in the diagnosis, assessment, education and treatment.

Dimensions supports people with learning disabilities, autism and complex needs out of institutions, helping them lead ordinary lives in their local communities.

National Autistic Society is the leading UK charity for autistic people (including those with Asperger syndrome) and their families.

Contact support families with the best possible guidance and information, bringing families together to support each other, and helping them to campaign, volunteer and fundraise to improve life for themselves and others.

Stats

• A recent index of 301 diseases, globally, found mental health problems to be one of the main causes of the overall disease burden worldwide.
• According to the 2013 Global Burden of Disease study, the predominant mental health problem worldwide is depression, followed by anxiety, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
• In 2013, depression was the second leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide, behind lower back pain. In 26 countries, depression was the primary driver of disability.
• Depressive disorders also contribute to the burden of suicide and heart disease on mortality and disability; they have both a direct and an indirect impact on the length and quality of life.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that between 35% and 50% of people with severe mental health problems in developed countries, and 76 – 85% in developing countries, receive no treatment.
• Nearly half (43.4%) of adults in the UK think that they have had a diagnosable mental health condition at some point in their life (35.2% of men and 51.2% of women). A fifth of men (19.5%) and a third of women (33.7%) have had diagnoses confirmed by professionals.
• In 2014, 19.7% of people in the UK aged 16 and older showed symptoms of anxiety or depression – a 1.5% increase from 2013. This percentage was higher among females (22.5%) than males (16.8%).
• In 2014, suicide was the leading cause of death for men under 50 years of age in England and Wales, and for women aged 20–34.71 The demographic with the highest suicide rate (of 23.9 per 100,000 population) was men aged 45–59.
• The number of hospital admissions due to intentional self-harm has been rising over the last decade, from 91,341 in September 2005–August 2006 to 112,096 in September 2014–August 2015 – a decrease of 1.8% from the previous 12-month period, when there were 114,105 admissions.
• People with severe mental health problems are much more likely to harm themselves than they are to harm others. In 2013, 1,876 suicides were recorded among mental health inpatients in the UK, compared to 51 homicides.
• People with mental health problems are more likely to be victims of violence than those without mental health problems.
• A review of joint inspections undertaken by the Healthcare Commission and HM Inspectorate of Probation in 2009 found that 43% of young people aged 18 or younger on community orders have emotional and mental health needs.^[1]
• 93 per cent of people from Black and Minority Ethnic communities who have mental health problems face discrimination because of them.^[2]
• There is a tendency for different types of news and information media to present mental illnesses in a way that promotes stigma (e.g., by conflating it with violence and crime) and/or perpetuates myths about mental illness (e.g., by presenting information that is inaccurate about, say, treatment and prognosis).
• A review found that mass media stigma reduction campaigns, web‐based mental health literacy programs and documentary films can all have positive effects, particularly if they include personalised stories (as opposed to education alone).^[3]
• Civic engagement is associated with a more positive outlook, greater well-being and lower prevalence of anxiety or depression^[4]
• Cinema attendance can be both a personally expressive experience, good fun, and therapeutic at the same time.
• In a rather groundbreaking study, Konlaan, Bygren and Johansson found that frequent cinema attendees have particularly low mortality risks – those who never attended the cinema had mortality rates nearly 4 times higher than those who visit the cinema at least occasionally.
• IsoAhola and Park found that social leisure activities promoted better mental health than non-social leisure activities.^[5]

^[1] The Mental Health Foundation – Fundamental Facts about Mental Health 2016
^[2] Black and Minority Ethnic communities faced with double the levels of discrimination
^[3] Hunter Institute of Mental Health: Mental illness in the news and information media
^[4] Donovan, Halpern, and Sargeant 2002; Putnam 2001
^[5] Institute for Social and Economic Research – Cinema is good for you

Organisations

Mind provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.

The Mental Health Foundation is the UK’s charity for everyone’s mental health. With prevention at the heart of what they do, they aim to find and address the sources of mental health problems.

SANE is a leading UK mental health charity, working to improve quality of life for anyone affected by mental illness.

Heads Together is a mental health initiative spearheaded by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, which combines a campaign to tackle stigma and change the conversation on mental health with fundraising for a series of innovative new mental health services.

Young Minds is leading the fight for a future where all young minds are supported and empowered, whatever the challenges. They aim to ensure young people get the best possible mental health support and have the resilience to overcome life’s difficulties.

CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) is leading a movement against male suicide, the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK.

Mental Health UK brings together four national mental health charities working across the UK, which have 40 years’ experience of working to improve life for people affected by mental illness in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland:

Rethink Mental Illness directly supports tens of thousands of people in England every year, whether they are experiencing depression or anxiety for the first time, or require long-term support to cope with bipolar disorder, psychosis or schizophrenia.

Zero Suicide Alliance is a collaborative of National Health Service trusts, businesses and individuals who are all committed to suicide prevention in the UK and beyond. The alliance is ultimately concerned with improving support for people contemplating suicide by raising awareness of and promoting free suicide prevention training which is accessible to all.

Support in Mind Scotland aims to improve the quality of life of anyone whose mental health problem or mental illness has a serious impact on their life or the lives of others including families, carers and supporters.

Hafal is Wales’ leading charity for people with serious mental illness and their carers.

MindWise is a leading mental health charity in Northern Ireland delivering over 30 services.

Time to Change is the growing social movement changing how we all think and act about mental health. Still too many people are made to feel ashamed or isolated because they have a mental health problem but we’re here to change that.

They also have a list of further mental health support organisations.

Stats

• In the UK, asylum applications (excluding dependents) peaked at 84,100 in 2002 and reached a low point of 17,900 in 2010. After several years of increases, applications dropped by 6% to 30,700 in 2016.
• Asylum applicants and their dependents comprised an estimated 9% of net migration in 2015, down from 44% in 2002.
• In 2016, 68% of initial asylum applications were refused but 42% of appeals against initial refusals were successful.
• Men made up 75% of main applicants for asylum in 2016.
• The UK received about 3% of asylum claims made in EU countries (plus Norway and Switzerland) in 2016, and was the sixth highest recipient of asylum claims.^[1]
• According to the UNHCR, by mid-2015 there were 117,234 refugees, 37,829 pending asylum cases and 16 stateless persons in the UK. That’s less than one quarter of a percent of the UK’s total population (around 0.24%)
• Asylum applications to the UK are relatively low – 32,733 in 2015. Although they have increased a little in recent years, they’re still significantly lower today than the peak of 84,000 applications back in 2002.
• The vast majority of people who seek asylum in the UK have fled countries ravaged by war and human rights abuses. In 2015, the largest number of asylum applications to the UK came from nationals of Eritrea (3,695), Iran (3,242), Sudan (2,912) and Syria (2,539).
• Over 65 million people around the globe have had to flee their homes – that’s like the entire British population having to leave.
• It’s poor countries, not rich, western countries, who look after the vast majority of the world’s refugees. The UN’s Refugee Agency estimates that nearly nine in ten of the world’s refugees are sheltered by developing countries.
• Last year, 172, 362 people arrived in Europe via sea. Just under half were women and children. 3,119 men, women and children have lost their lives during their attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea.
• In September 2015, European countries agreed to relocate 160,000 refugees away from Greece and Italy to help ease the pressure. By September 2017, almost 27,700 refugees had been relocated.
• In 2017, an estimated 668,600 people sought safety in Europe. Britain received 26,350 asylum applications, a 14% decrease since the year before. Britain received less than 3% of all asylum claims made in the EU during last year.
• By the end of 2017 more than 14,600 asylum applications had been waiting for longer than six months for an initial decision on the case. That’s an increase from 8,820 compared with the previous year. In Germany alone, 199,200 asylum applications were made.
• The total backlog in cases pending a decision totalled 28,787.
• In 2017, 27,331 people were imprisoned in immigration detention centres; among them many people seeking asylum. 54% were released back into the community.
• The number of Syrian refugees resettled in the UK now stands at 10,538 since the conflict began.
• In 2017, 813 non-Syrian refugees were resettled in Britain via the Gateway Protection Programme run in conjunction with the UN’s Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Just 1% of the world’s refugees will ever be resettled.^[2]

^[1]Migration to the UK: Asylum – The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford
^[2]Refugee Council – Top 20 facts about refugees and asylum seekers.

Organisations

Refugee Action has spent 35 years helping refugees build safe, hopeful and productive new lives in the UK.

In Place of War has worked with creative communities in some of the most challenging contexts in the world. It is a support system for community artistic, creative and cultural organisations in places of conflict, revolution and areas suffering the consequences of conflict.

Regional Refugee Forum North East is the independent membership organisation created by and for the North East region’s Refugee-led Community Organisations (RCOs), enabling them to unite and produce their Collective Voice and empowering them to be active agents in change.

Women for Refugee Women challenges the injustices experienced by women who seek asylum in the UK.

The Refugee Council is one of the leading charities in the UK working directly with refugees, and supporting them to rebuild their lives.

University of East London – Directory of Services & Organisations for Refugees, Asylum Seekers & Migrants

Stats

• There are over 11 million people with a limiting long term illness, impairment or disability.
• The most commonly-reported impairments are those that affect mobility, lifting or carrying.^[1]
• There are 13.9 million disabled people in the UK. 8 per cent of children are disabled, 19 per cent of working age adults are disabled, 45 per cent of pension age adults are disabled.^[2]
• After housing costs, the proportion of working age disabled people living in poverty (28 per cent) is higher than the proportion of working age non-disabled people (18 per cent).^[3]
• Life costs you £570 more on average a month if you’re disabled.^[4]
• Over a quarter of disabled people say that they do not frequently have choice and control over their daily lives.^[5]
• Around a third of disabled people experience difficulties related to their impairment in accessing public, commercial and leisure goods and services.^[6]
• The spending power of families with at least one disabled person is estimated by the Government to be over £200 billion a year.^[7]
• Disabled audiences are over-represented amongst video buyers.^[8]

^[1] ONS Opinions Survey 2011
^[2] Family Resources Survey 2016/17
^[3] Households Below Average Income, 2015-16
^[4] Scope: The disability price tag
^[5] ONS Opinions Survey 2011
^[6] ONS Opinions Survey 2010
^[7] Department for Work and Pensions
^[8] BFI Audiences Research and Statistics 2015

Organisations

Scope exists to make this country a place where disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else.
Disability Rights UK want a society where everyone can participate equally.

Centre for Accessible Environments (CAE) provides consultancy, training, research and publications on building design and management to meet all user needs, including disabled and older people.

Mind provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem.

Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is the UK’s leading charity supporting blind and partially sighted people.

Action on Hearing Loss supports and helps people experiencing hearing loss, so they can take back control and live the live they choose.

Contact supports families with the best possible guidance and information. They bring families together to support each other, and help families to campaign, volunteer and fundraise to improve life for themselves and others.

Disability Arts has an extensive database of cinema and arts organisations

Sensory Trust also has a useful list

Stats

• Almost eight in 10 companies and public-sector bodies pay men more than women^[1]
• 8 million women were working full-time and 6.3 million were working part-time. 42% of women in employment were working part-time compared to 13% of men.^[2]
• The gender mix in UK film casts has not improved since the end of the Second World War.
• In crews the gender mix has improved, but in some departments women still make up less than 10 per cent of senior roles.
• Female actors have tended to make fewer films and have had shorter careers than male actors.
• Unnamed characters who work in high-skilled occupations (e.g. doctor) are much more likely to be portrayed by men than women.
• Films that have one woman in a senior writing or directing role contain relatively more women in their casts.^[3]
• The peak for female representation in film (when women made up 41% of casts) was over 100 years ago, in 1917.^[4]
• In the 100 highest grossing live-action films in the US for the years 2014, -16, Google showed that men were seen and heard almost twice as often as women, with women occupying just 36% of screen time and 35% of speaking time.^[5]
• Since 2005 only 16% of unnamed doctors in UK films have been played by women, despite women now comprising 52% of doctors on the UK’s General Practitioners Register.^[6]
• In film schools, numbers are generally 50:50 men to women, there are equal opportunities and equal training. Women make up 50 per cent of all short films entered into festivals (according to Directors UK) but they seem to drop out, or are pushed out of filmmaking, later in their careers.
• In 2009, 19 per cent of all UK films had no women in any of the six key roles – director, writer, producer, exec-producer, cinematographer or editor.^[7]

^[1] Gender pay gap figures reveal eight in 10 UK firms pay men more, The Guardian 2018
^[2] Women and the Economy, House of Commons Briefing Paper, 2018
^[3] Women in film: what does the data say?, Nesta 2017
^[4] The gender imbalance in UK film casts, Nesta 2017
^[5] Google, in collaboration with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
^[6] #PressForProgress: Evidencing gender inequality in the arts, Nesta 2017
^[7] Calling the Shots, University of Southampton 2018

Organisations

Women in Film & Television UK is the leading membership organisation for women working in creative media in the UK and part of an international network of over 13,000 women.

Bird’s Eye View is a year round agency that campaigns for gender equality in film Now in its 15th year, BEV spotlights and celebrates films created by women, and supports women working in film through training and events.

Calling the Shots: Women and Contemporary Film Culture in the UK, 2000-2015 is a large Arts and Humanities Research Council funded (£589,710) four-year project researching and writing the contemporary history of women working in the UK film industry.

Club des Femmes is a queer feminist collective. They curate film screenings and events. Their mission is to offer a freed up space for the re-examination of ideas through art.

Stats

• In the UK, 87% of people are White, and 13% belong to a Black, Asian, Mixed or Other ethnic group.
• Asian people, at 59%, were significantly less likely to take part in the arts than White people (including White ethnic minorities), at 78%, or Black people, at 70%^[1]
• Black people are three times as likely to be arrested as white people
• People of white British and Indian backgrounds are more likely than other minorities to be homeowners
• Among poorer children, those of BME backgrounds have higher attainment levels than white pupils^[2]
• Only 1 in 16 of current FTSE 100 board members is from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background.
• 1 in 8 employees in the UK are from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups.^[3]
• Diverse audiences tend to be heavier film consumers compared to the national average, especially Eastern Europeans (31% are “heavy” film consumers compared to 12% for the national average)
• Asian, Black, Eastern European and LGB audiences attend the cinema much more frequently than the national average (all over 30% for “very regular” compared to 14% for the national average)
• These audiences also have an above-average affinity for cinema, with over 1 in 2 Black, Eastern European and LGB audiences saying cinema remains the best place to watch film – even higher (3 in 5) for the Asian audience
• 7 in 10 of the general public say it is important for some films to portray real life issues facing our communities – our diverse audiences tend to think this even more important (e.g. 88% of the Black audience)
• Diverse audiences are also more likely to think it important that they can see stories, characters and settings to which they can personally relate – for example, 65% of the working class audience say it is important to see their own stories authentically reflected in the films they watch
• 67% of the general public say the portrayal of our nation’s diverse audiences has become more authentic over the last ten years – and this view is largely shared by diverse audiences
• However, when asked about the amount of work needed to be more authentic: 19% of the general public perceived “a great deal” more work needs to be done, comparing to 43% for the Asian audience and 58% of the Black audience
• The following are the proportions from diverse audiences who say they would watch more films if people from diverse backgrounds were portrayed more authentically: 59% of the Asian audience, 66% of the Black audience, 54% of the Eastern European audience^[4]

^[1]Ethnicity Facts & Figures, GOV.UK
^[2]The Guardian, Huge effect of ethnicity on life chances revealed in official UK figures
^[3]Diversity in the UK
^[4]Portrayal V Betrayal: an investigation of diverse and mainstream UK film audiences, 2011

Organisations

Diversity UK is a think tank to research, advocate and promote new ideas for improving diversity and inclusion in Britain. 

UK-BAME represents the diverse collective interests of the UK’s Black, Asians and Minority Ethnic communities who expressed interest or require assistance in developing businesses, community groups, lifestyles, and careers.

Refugee Action has spent 35 years helping refugees build safe, hopeful and productive new lives in the UK.

The British Blacklist offers reviews, news and social analysis striving to bring a voice to burgeoning talent, which rarely receive any visibility. Featuring an extensive database of African Caribbean British creative talent with a strong features-driven core.

The New Black Film Collective is network of film exhibitors, educators and programmers spread across the regions in the UK. As part of our range of services, we host screenings that matter to the local community featuring international and domestic films of black representation. 

Come the Revolution is a collective of curators, programmers and creatives from Bristol & Birmingham committed to exploring and challenging black life, experience and cultural expression through cinema.

We Are Parable believe in the power of events. They want to make events that leave a legacy and produce memories that last.

Birmingham Indian Film Festival – BIFF – brings you the best new Indian & South Asian independent cinema, with a rare window into a billion South Asian lives.

Gentle/Radical is a grassroots cultural organisation and platform for radical thinking, creative practice and social change.

In Place of War has worked with creative communities in some of the most challenging context in the world. In Place of War is a support system for community artistic, creative and cultural organisations in places of conflict, revolution and areas suffering the consequences of conflict.

Afrika Eye Film Festival, held annually in Bristol, is the South West’s biggest celebration of African cinema and culture. Our Festival brings films and diverse perspectives on Africa and the African diaspora to growing audiences in Bristol and the South West.

Desi Blitz is a digital magazine based in Birmingham, England. It’s the leading online magazine for British Asian communities in the UK.