Filming on the businest day of the week? Only in the name of funding...

Marc Jobson (Image: Archant)

Thursday is a good day. Thursday is our busiest day. So quite why I decided to invite Justin Leigh, of BBC Spotlight fame, to make a film about us I’m still not sure!

Actually, of course I am sure. We wanted to make a film to encapsulate everything we do and to show potential funders why they should donate their funds to us.

I have written before about our recent journey to independent charity status and reasons why it was essential. In short, funding, funding and funding. All charities need to raise funds to further their charitable cause and we are no different. We do not have a pot of money hidden under my desk for rainy days. (And if I had, it would have been spent long ago!)

In general terms we have a funding gap of approximately £180,000 that we need to find every year. A recently social evaluation report found we benefited our wider community and individuals to a valve of £340,000 each year in relation to our social isolation, loneliness and fails prevention activities along. That doesn’t include other activities around dementia, adults with learning disabilities, young children and refugee support. So, the maths adds up. There is a financial necessity for us to be here. But more importantly there is a need from our community to be here. Investing £180,000 to get a £340,000 return sounds like a no-brainer to me.

Filming started at 10am as Justin meet Cathy and others who had travelled in via our community transport to attend our Activity Club. The interactions Justin had was just a taster of things to come. He was impressed, delighted and humbled by the conversations he had we our clients extolling the virtues of Seachange. He chatted enthusiastically with the adult’s trainees in our Launchpad kitchen before joining a seated kettlebell class. Justin watched as older adults read stories to beaming children in our Jurassic childcare. He also meet a lady who had joined one of our IT sessions. She told him without it she would never have been able to go online and book a trip to France.

A few drone shots later, plus interviews with staff and volunteers was followed by an introduction with one of the Afghan families we supposed. Everyone listened intently as he told of his escape from Kabul with his family aided by the German military. Now being supposed by Seachange they have settle well in East Devon and feel a part of our community.

The film will be available on our website and social media soon. I’m not pretending we will get an Oscar for it but hopefully it will do its’ job in raising our profile to thus who wish to give to Seachange. To donate, please visit www.seachangedevon.org