Are you a service manager? Have you ever wondered how you might attract the right volunteers who will make a real difference to the lives of the people you support? Or how you can recruit volunteers who quietly and consistently get on behind-the-scenes with those extra jobs, like preparing newsletters, gardening or fundraising for a … More
What are the advantages of having a diverse range of volunteers? Having a more diverse range of people volunteering with your organisation will mean that you will have more skills and experiences to draw upon and the organisation will become more inclusive and welcoming to all.
The UK has historically included people from different parts of the world, different communities and cultures. What has changed over time is the number of identified or self-identifying communities that exist and how we value and treat people within our society. As society changes and becomes more diverse, we need to look for positive ways … More
NCVO champions and strengthens the voluntary sector, with over 14,000 members, from the largest charities to the smallest community organisations.
Download free resources and templates to help you have a Volunteers’ Week to remember.
Volunteers’ Week takes place in June every year, this week it runs from 3rd – 9th June. It’s a chance to say thank you for the contribution millions of volunteers make across the UK to support our communities.
The Week is open to anyone to take part – this can include carrying out an act of kindness, doing some volunteering or contributing to discussion. Find more information here.
The week is led in partnership by NCVO, Volunteer Scotland, Volunteer Now (Northern Ireland) and Wales Council for Voluntary Action and supported by organisations across the UK.
Hundreds of community cinemas across the UK are volunteer-run, with people bringing their love of cinema and the audience experience to life in their communities. There are also many other independent venues that simply would not be able to provide the special and personal experiences they do without the support of volunteers. This is a week to give extra thanks to these brilliant people.
Children’s Mental Health Week shines a light on the importance of children and young people’s mental health, launched by Place2Be, who provide mental health support in UK schools. It takes place from 3rd -9th February 2020 and this years theme is “Find Your Brave.” You can find lots of resources to support work around this here.
Around three children in every primary school class has a mental health problem (1). In addition, many children and young people struggle with a range of challenges such as bullying or bereavement.
FAN New Releases supported 606 Distribution’s title System Crasher in 2020 – a portrayal of the life of chaotic 9-year-old Benni (Helena Zengel) who keeps getting expelled from one foster home after another due to her uncontrollable aggression.
Too young to be held in treatment programmes and too violent to stay in group homes, she is a ‘system crasher’ – the unofficial, controversial name given to children who slip through the cracks of the German Child Protective Services. A seed of hope appears as Benni is given an anger management trainer to help her.
The title will appeal to fans of European cinema, people interested in mental health, and young audiences. You may wish to consider screening the film, supported by The Association of Child Protection Professionals, in your cinema to explore issues raised by Children’s Mental Health Week.
The film is available with English audio description and descriptive subtitles
Often misrepresented, mental health stories on screen can add to stigma around mental health conditions. Taking opportunities to raise awareness, and supporting education, cinemas can screen films to broaden understanding about mental health experiences, and ignite important discussions about how we look after each other.
Screenings can be for a range of audiences, from children and young people themselves to parents, carers and professionals who work with young people. Find some ideas for film screenings and events relating to Children’s Mental Health Week on this page.
The activity of visiting a cinema can be beneficial to wellbeing. You may wish to consider accessibility and support for a diverse range of audiences.
If you’re interested in running a relaxed screening, to help support audiences with additional needs in your cinema, find out more in our quick tips for running relaxed screenings. You may also find some transferable advice in our autism-friendly screenings guide. Ideally, consult with relevant groups in your area for advice and expertise on supporting audiences.
(1) NHS Digital (2018) ‘Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2017.” Available at: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and information/publications/statistical/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england/2017/2017. Based on 12.8% of 5-19 year olds being identified as having a diagnosable mental health condition.
Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual event when there is an opportunity for the whole of the UK to focus on achieving good mental health. The Mental Health Foundation started the event 21 years ago. The event has grown to become one of the biggest awareness weeks across the UK and globally.
Loneliness is affecting more and more of us in the UK and had a huge impact on our physical and mental health during the pandemic. Our connection to other people and our community is fundamental to protecting our mental health and we need to find better ways of tackling the epidemic of loneliness. We can all play a part in this.
Read more here.
Mental Health Awareness Week shines a light on mental health experiences. Often misrepresented, mental health stories on screen can add to stigma around mental health conditions. films can also present opportunities to raise awareness, support education and broaden understanding about mental health experiences, and ignite important discussions about how we look after each other. Find some highlighted films and events on this page, along with resources to support the wellbeing of cinema audiences.
We have provided some links to some interesting films below. If you are a filmmaker who works with themes of mental health and have work online, for example on your website, YouTube or Vimeo, you can let us know about it by completing our contact form here.
Online initiatives can help people and communities to connect and support people experiencing mental health problems. There are some resources included here for getting started with running events online.
Could you:
2680 out of 7000 languages spoken in the world are endangered. Only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given a place in education systems and the public domain, and less than a hundred are used in the digital world.
International Mother Language Day has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. In 2019, the United Nations declared The Year of Indigenous Languages (IY2019) to raise awareness and recognise the important cultural value that they bring to our world.
The UN has proclaimed 2022-2032 the International Decade of Indigenous Languages to draw global attention on the critical situation of many indigenous languages.
This is a great time to focus on planning screenings of films not in the English language, learn about the challenges Indigenous languages face by connecting people through language and culture through film.
Recognising the rights of LGBTIQ+ people, National Coming Out Day brings awareness of LGBTIQ+ experiences across the world.
National Coming Out Day was inspired by a single march. 500,000 people participated in the March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights on October 11, 1987, generating momentum to last for 4 months after the march had ended. During this period, over a hundred LGBTIQ+ identifying individuals gathered outside Washington, DC, and decided on creating a national day to celebrate coming out – this began on the 1st anniversary of their historic march.
Cinemas UK-wide will be sharing LGBTIQ+ stories to encourage acceptance, understanding and celebration in audiences.
