Champions of change
CHARITY FILMS
Please demonstrate your support for the vital work done by these charities by finding out more about the extraordinary impact they are creating around the UK and the world by watching these films and donating to them directly via their websites.
CLIMATE CHANGE – HUNGER – HEALTH & WELL BEING – POVERTY – EDUCATION – MENTAL HEATH – CHILDREN – DOMESTIC VIOLENCE – GENDER INEQUALITY – DISCRIMINATION – FOOD – CONSERVATION – INCLUSION – HOMELESSNESS – EMPLOYABILITY – ILLITERACY – LOSS & GRIEF
These films have been shortlisted to win multiple prizes for numerous sustainability areas that their work focuses on to bring much needed positive changes all around us.
The following finalists have been selected from hundreds of charity film entries received by the Big Syn International Film Festival, this year.
In this interconnected world, no matter how distant or irrelevant these causes may seem to you, in the grand scheme of things, lending a helping hand to address these issues will improve OUR lives no matter where we live and WHO we are.
Blue Marine Foundation
The devastating impacts of bycatch are laid bare in new campaign film featuring Blue Marine ambassadors.
Theo James plays a diner at a smart restaurant who orders a seemingly sustainable fish course. But his evening takes a horrifying turn when an enormous net of rotting bycatch and oil is dumped on him and his table as the ‘extras’ to his “sustainable” plaice.
Fry plays a comedic, shadowy waiter, delivering the harsh reality of the seafood industry; reminding Theo that what we don’t see on the menu is often the most devastating to marine environments. Bottom trawling is ravaging 90% of the UK’s marine protected areas.
Let’s end this NOW.
A Personal Appeal – Rachel’s story
Alzheimer’s Society
Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer. Its cruelty overwhelms those living with it. Its scale overwhelms the NHS, social care and the economy. Its complexity poses overwhelming challenges in how we research, diagnose and treat it. In the UK, someone develops dementia every 3 minutes – and 1 in 3 people born here today will go on to develop dementia in their lifetime.
Our new brand advertising campaign, ‘A Personal Appeal’, raises awareness of both dementia and Alzheimer’s Society among the general public, which is currently low. Just 8% of people think that dementia is the UK’s biggest killer, and only a quarter of people are confident that they understand dementia and how it affects people.
Our new strapline, ‘It will take a society to beat dementia’ highlights Alzheimer’s Society’s all-encompassing solution to a problem as complex as dementia. It captures our role as the only charity that understands all parts of dementia – giving support to those who need it, campaigning to improve experiences and funding groundbreaking research to end the devastation of dementia.
Individuals alone can’t beat dementia – we all have a role to play. We can only achieve this vision by bringing together carers, researchers, volunteers, fundraisers, politicians, Dementia Advisers, Dementia Support Line staff – the whole nation.
What is dyslexia?
Made By Dyslexia
What is dyslexia?
When kids and parents search “What is dyslexia?” online, they are told it is a disability or a lifelong learning disorder. 9 in 10 say this makes them feel hopeless or scared about their future, as it fails to include dyslexics’ extraordinary strengths. To change this, we’ve created this short animation: “What is dyslexia?”, starring Jeremy Irons and Liv Tyler, and during October (Dyslexia Awareness Month) we’re bringing it to 100 million screens worldwide – helping to kickstart a movement that means every dyslexic child, and everyone around them, understands dyslexia is a brilliant and different way of thinking.
Plastic waste reduction at the Kindergarten Vrhnika, Slovenia
Skutečně zdravá škola, z.s.
Discover how Kindergarten Vrhnika became the very first public kindergarten in Slovenia to systematically tackle plastic waste from the ground up. By conducting a waste audit, they discovered that single-use disposable nappies made up the largest percentage of their mixed waste. Beyond nappies, the kindergarten champions sustainability by using reusable water bottles, organic food sourced from local farms, eco-friendly cleaning supplies, and textile bags. It’s a powerful blueprint showing how early education can lead the charge toward a zero-waste future!
Book Trust
Waterstones Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Diana Gerald MBE, BookTrust CEO, visited Professor Sam Wass at the University of East London Baby Dev Lab to see what happens inside a baby’s brain when they are read a story.
The Diana Award
10 million children make the return to school this week, new research reveals 65% of them are scared of going back because they have been bullied. To start a national conversation about this issue and raise awareness of the importance of anti-bullying, we created a #BackToBullying campaign film with a shocking twist to highlight stark reality for millions of children returning for the new school year.
Resuscitation Council UK
When someone goes into cardiac arrest, every second counts. This short film highlights a powerful reality: when CPR and defibrillation are given within 3 to 5 minutes, survival rates can reach as high as 70%. The Resuscitation Council UK is on a mission to give everyone the skills, knowledge, and confidence to act quickly in an emergency.
Cornwall Wildlife Trust
Cornwall Wildlife Trust is working to protect wildlife, restore nature and inspire people across Cornwall. From restoring habitats and caring for nature reserves to supporting communities, advising landowners and influencing decisions that affect nature, we’re helping create a wilder Cornwall for future generations. For over 60 years, we’ve been protecting Cornwall’s wildlife and wild places on land and at sea. Today, our work focuses on three connected areas:
Creating and restoring vital habitats across land and sea
Mobilising communities and galvanising action
Using knowledge to advocate, advise and inform
We can’t do this alone so this is our rallying call to you. You see, doing changes things, and working together with Cornwall Wildlife Trust, you can be part of making things wild again.
Azuko
In the heart of rural Bangladesh, homes tell a story of resilience — but also of struggle. AzuKo’s Pathway to home improvement programme does more than build stronger walls. We build stronger communities.
We provide construction training that transforms women into skilled builders. Housing advice that helps families plan for their future. Access to finance that makes dreams possible. From design to construction to long-term maintenance — we’re there for the whole journey. This isn’t just housing. This is housing justice.
Hope and Homes for Children
The film reveals that 80% of the 5.4 million children in global institutions have living parents and are separated primarily due to poverty and systemic issues. It demonstrates that transitioning children back to families through community support is a successful and achievable goal.
Kids Inspire
This film invites audiences to step into a child’s world, experiencing the weight of worries, some shaped by trauma – heavy, overwhelming, and often unseen – while also showing how the right specialist support can transform lives, helping children and families feel seen, heard, and more resilient. The film comes at a time when one in five children in the UK are struggling with their mental health, with half of all mental health problems beginning before the age of 14. Around 85% of the children who come to us are struggling with anxiety or related challenges. Kids Inspire is there to make sure no child struggles alone. The film reflects our trauma-informed approach supporting children’s mental health, recognising the vital role families play in recovery.
Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit (CRRU) | Big Picture Charity Films
Learn about life at Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit (CRRU) from Dr. Kevin Robison, Director and Lead Researcher, and others from the CRRU team. For over 30 years, CRRU has been marine conservation charity dedicated to the study, conservation and understanding of UK whales, dolphins and porpoises (cetaceans) in northeast Scotland through scientific research, environmental education and the provision of a voluntary veterinary rescue service for marine wildlife in distress.
Orchid Project
Over 230 million women and girls around the world are survivors of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). This includes more than 600,000 in Europe and over 130,000 in the UK. These numbers are not just statistics; they are real people, with real stories and real lives. Behind every number is a woman or girl who has been denied her right to bodily autonomy and subjected to one of the gravest forms of gender-based violence. We believe no one should experience this EVER. Together, we can help bring FGM/C to an end.
Coram
A Coram Adoption film about love, stability and belonging.
This film from Coram Adoption shares real moments from adoptive families and offers an honest, warm look at the joy of building a family through adoption. Across England, around 2,900 children are waiting to be adopted, each hoping for a safe, loving and supportive home.
If you are thinking about adoption, Coram Adoption provides guidance, training and lifelong support to help you understand the adoption process in England. Adoptive parents come from many backgrounds. You may be single, married, in a relationship, renting or owning your home. What matters most is your ability to provide a stable and loving environment for a child.
Coram is one of the UK’s leading adoption agencies, supporting families across Greater London and the South East.
John Lyon’s Charity
Safer London
Every day, young Londoners directly impacted by violence and crime are being exploited, harmed and criminalised. Too often, they are seen through a lens of fear, labels and assumptions.
We’re calling on services, systems and society to look beyond the stereotypes and truly listen – to their experiences, their trauma, their strength and their resilience.
Because when we listen, we begin to understand and see young Londoners for who they are – children and young people worthy of safety, support and hope. It’s time to listen.
Who is Hussain?
The documentary traces how Hussain’s values of compassion, equality, and dignity cross cultural and religious boundaries to ignite a modern global movement. It follows passionate volunteers across six continents who turn his principles into real-world action—organising disaster relief, blood donation camps, and food drives for the most vulnerable communities.
My Life My Choice
Warning: This film contains offensive and upsetting language used to describe people with a learning disability during World War I.
After ten years of research, our project on women with learning disabilities during World War I has come to an end. These women played important roles in the war, yet their contributions went unrecognised. This project set out to learn more about their lives and the work they carried out.
WaterAid
In the hills of Lahan, south-east Nepal, villages of Dalits and other marginalised castes have been “left behind” by development and infrastructure projects elsewhere, leading to widespread migration.
This film tells the story of Lal Bahadur Pariyar, 72, one of the few of his generation who remained in the land of his forefathers. Through intimate first-person testimony, we hear how Lal Bahadur has held firm against the tides of change: depopulation; urbanisation; economic and social marginalisation. For over 50 years, he’s been on the front line of the water crisis, leading his community in the fight to find water. Only now, in his old age, has he found a steadfast ally…
The Beacon Project is a unique long-term partnership between Anglian Water and its alliances, WaterAid Nepal, the Nepal Water Supply Corporation, the Ministry of Water Supply and Lahan municipality. Its goal is to bring clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene to
every person in Lahan by 2030, in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 6.
Refuge
Trigger warning: domestic abuse.
Take a tour around this seemingly picture-perfect house, can you spot the red flags for abuse?
The most dangerous place for a woman is her own home.
Soil Association
We are the Soil Association, the leading food and farming charity on a mission to fix food and farming for all, the nature-friendly way.
For 80 years, the Soil Association has worked to transform the way we eat, farm and care for our natural world.
We build real solutions from the ground up. Because the only way to solve the issues facing our world is to understand that they are all connected – and that food, farming and forestry are a vital part of the solution.
Together, we are a force for nature.
Working together with farmers, businesses, policymakers and fellow citizens, our work has made an impact on the food you eat, the clothes you wear and the environment you live in.
We campaign for change
We support farming innovation
We serve healthy food
We develop world-leading standards
We support and grow the organic market
We protect forests
Wigan Youth Zone
We’re backing the See Youth Work Differently campaign, bringing youth organisations from across Greater Manchester together to shine a spotlight on the life-changing impact of youth work across our region and beyond.
To mark the week we’re sharing our video that we launched at our recent Charity Ball, featuring honest reflections from young people and youth workers on what youth work really means to them, in their own words.
It features young people who’ve discovered fresh passions, alongside those who found a safe space where they feel heard, supported, and understood. The power of youth work looks different for every young person, but at its core it’s about being there, showing up, and helping young people realise what they’re capable of.
Manta Trust
Where Devils Return is a short documentary filmed in the Azores, one of the few places on Earth where endangered sicklefin devil rays gather in seasonal groups. At Ambrósio Seamount, off Santa Maria Island, marine biologist Ana Filipa Sobral and the team behind Manta Catalog Azores, an affiliate project of the Manta Trust, uncover the hidden lives of these elusive ocean giants. Using photo-identification, cutting-edge research, and collaboration with local tour operators, they are beginning to understand why these rays return – and why this place is so important. Blending immersive underwater cinematography with intimate human stories, the film explores the curiosity between species, the cultural shifts in how devil rays are perceived, and the growing pressures they face from overfishing and unregulated tourism. As global populations decline, Where Devils Return asks what it means to protect not just a species, but a relationship – between people, science, and the sea – and whether places like the Azores can become a model for responsible coexistence.
Watford FC’s Community Sports
The film highlights the diverse community and health initiatives run by the Watford FC (WFC) Community Sports & Education Trust. It shares powerful personal stories from individuals whose lives have been positively impacted by their targeted programs.
UK LSD Collaborative / Niemann-Pick UK
Hadid and I is a concept film that will eventually become part of a larger body of work titled A Rare Life. The story follows a bereaved husband who, after losing his wife to Niemann-Pick disease, tries to navigate the complexities of grief while raising their young daughter. Along the way, he finds support in the most unexpected of friendships, with moments of humour woven through the heartache. While the film tackles heavy themes of loss and resilience, it does so with a surprising lightness—a deliberate choice to ensure the story connects not only with the rare disease community but also with a wider audience, highlighting the universal threads of love, family, and hope.
From early on, John involved me in the development process. He asked for my input to ensure the depiction of patient experience was authentic and respectful, and he also invited me to join the production team as an assistant — alongside other members of the rare disease community. The aim was ambitious: to break out of our usual advocacy channels and reach a broader audience, using a blend of comedy and drama to foster empathy, connection, and awareness.
Blueprint for All
The film highlights a young person’s journey from feeling intimidated by the future to finding their career path through the support of Blueprint for All. A journey of creativity, courage, and self-discovery — showing that every dream begins with making that first jump.
A young aspiring game designer struggles with choosing a path forward. They face the overwhelming possibilities of life, guided by Blueprint for All, they take a leap of faith toward opportunity.
Through hard work, setbacks, and growth, their confidence builds. The once hesitant dreamer becomes a successful designer, now inspiring others to take their own first step.
REEF Scuba
PW: LightBlack
Returning to the Black Sea coast, a place deeply connected to her memories, Georgian filmmaker Lia Komakhidze looks to more fully understand a sea she has experienced since her childhood. What starts as a personal journey gradually unfolds into encounters with people whose lives remain closely tied to the Black Sea and its uncertain future.
Traveling alongside marine scientist Graham Patterson and meeting with divers, fishers, scientists, and coastal residents, Lia begins to understand a sea under pressure from many directions at once: ecological, economic, and political. The film also reveals something less visible: across these borders, people are already working to understand and protect the sea, oftentimes despite limited resources.
As the journey expands beyond Georgia to the International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, local experiences connect to wider conversations about conservation, conflict, and transboundary cooperation, including with renowned marine biologist and Mission Blue founder Sylvia Earle.
Through reflection and observation, the film asks whether a sea shared by nations divided by politics, history, and conflict can still teach them something about what they have in common.
Live by Choice not by Chance, Beyond Billy
Billy and Beyond CIC
Why does Billy & Beyond exist and what do we do.
UpCycle (The Margaret Carey Foundation)
The film highlights how a unique bike mechanics initiative transforms the lives of prison inmates, at-risk youth, and vulnerable groups across communities.
Marty’s Story
Royal Veterinary College Animal Care Trust
Marty was just ten weeks old when he started getting very ill. Within 24 hours he was in hospital with kidney and liver failure, and his owners were told he probably would not make it. The ultrasound machine, funded by the RVC Animal Care Trust, revealed that Marty was in acute kidney failure and Marty would need urgent dialysis. He had 3 rounds of dialysis and 2 blood transfusions and after 2 weeks in critical care, Marty began his recovery back to being a lively, cheeky Labrador puppy!
Younger People with Dementia (YPWD)
Little Rock, tells the story of Lana, a teenager learning to live with her dad’s decline. It’s a story about music, memory, and the painful beauty of love that endures, even when recognition begins to fade. But woven through it all is a truth at the heart of our campaign:
Dementia doesn’t care.
When a parent is diagnosed with young onset dementia, it’s not only their future that changes. Because dementia doesn’t care that there are children watching.
It doesn’t care that a teenager still needs their dad to teach them to drive.
It doesn’t care that a child still needs their mum at parents’ evening.
It doesn’t care that childhood should feel safe and certain.
Children are often forced to grow up fast, navigating confusion, fear and overwhelming emotions. Many quietly become young carers, helping with medication, meals and daily routines while still trying to revise for exams or fit in with friends. Without the right support, the impact can be devastating.
Little Rock is not just a story. Little Rock reflects the reality faced by thousands of children across the UK, children who are growing up too soon. It’s part of our Dementia Doesn’t Care campaign, shining a light on families who are too often overlooked. With your help, we can:
Raise national awareness of young onset dementia
Educate schools and professionals about the children affected
Reach families who feel isolated and alone
Provide specialist support groups for children and young carers
Younger People with Dementia is one of the only organisations in the UK providing tailored support specifically for younger people living with dementia and their families.
Home-Start UK
The film highlights the severe emotional and financial challenges vulnerable UK families face during the festive season. Through accounts of temporary housing insecurity, re-wrapped old toys, and severe parental illness, the appeal emphasizes that hardship intensifies during the holidays.
We are responders
Magen David Adom UK
MDA UK supports lifesaving for all communities in Israel—ambulances, blood, training. MDA UK—support Israel’s only national ambulance and disaster relief service. Magen David Adom is Israel’s only National Blood and Medical Emergency Service, saving the lives of all of Israel’s citizens regardless of religion.
Making sense of it all
Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity
Featuring three families cared for by a Roald Dahl Nurse – the film is a powerful insight into the extraordinary impact Roald Dahl Nurses have on seriously ill children and their families every day. The film also marks our 35th anniversary, a milestone year where we reflect on our remarkable growth and look ahead to establishing more marvellous nurses.
Beat Eating Disorders
Right now, at least 1.25 million people in the UK are living with an eating disorder, and millions more who support them feel the impact too. Eating disorders can be deeply isolating, but connecting with others who understand, or who share your interests and values, can be life-changing. And it doesn’t matter whether your community is one person or many, even a single meaningful connection can bring hope, strength, and the reminder that you are not alone.
DESIblitz
Saris of Strength and The Power of Unity,” a compelling documentary that delves into the landmark Grunwick Dispute of the 1970s and its impact on the West Midlands and beyond. “Saris of Strength “ chronicles the courageous journey of predominantly South Asian women workers at the Grunwick film processing plant in Willesden, London. Led by the formidable Jayaben Desai, these women stood against oppressive working conditions, demanding dignity, fair pay, and union recognition. Their struggle highlighted the intersection of race, gender, and labour rights, and became a beacon of solidarity within the UK labour movement. People from Birmingham and the wider West Midlands played their part in this pivotal moment in British labour history.
Bipolar UK
Maybe it’s bipolar? is a short film created by Rosie Viva and April Kelley produced in partnership with Bipolar UK.
The film launches Bipolar UK’s Maybe it’s bipolar? campaign, which aims to help people recognise that the little known symptoms of hypomania may be signs of bipolar.
If you recognise days like these.. maybe it’s bipolar?
Centre for Ageing Better
Told you’re overqualified or unemployable now you’re older? Do you ever wish you could smash these ageist stereotypes? We did just that, and it felt great! You might recognise our special guest here from a certain show full of secrets and sabotage! BBC’s The Traitors star Diane Carson joined #AgeWithoutLimits campaign supporters Genny, Penny, and Bill at our rage room experience. No treachery here, though – just smashing a whole lot of stuff to show we’re over being treated negatively because of our age. Let’s smash ageism.
Changing Faces
For Face Equality Week 2026, Changing Faces is asking people to ‘think before they speak’.
The visible difference community experiences inappropriate comments and questions daily. These can impact a person’s confidence, making it difficult to leave the house for fear of other’s reactions. It’s time for people to think before they speak.
Mary’s Meals
Witness the profound impact a daily school meal can have – transforming the life of a child while also shaping the future of an entire family.
In our new feature film, Lettie, a young girl propelled into adulthood as a child tells her own story. At age 10, Lettie had lost her parents, was battling severe hunger, and had to drop out of school to care for her younger siblings. Now we revisit her: an educated, healthy, working mother providing for her own family. Lettie is just one example of the power of school meals. Her story illustrates that education, nutrition, and the kindness of ordinary people can be the catalyst for lasting change that not only transforms one child’s life but impacts the lives of future generations.
Eurogroup For Animals
In Europe, millions of sows are forced to give birth and rear their piglets in crates too small to turn around in.
Their confinement has many terrible effects on their welfare, with caged sows frequently suffering from reduced muscular and bone strength, urinary tract infections, abscesses, lesions, and lameness… not to mention a very poor emotional state, based on not being able to behave naturally.
To live.
It isn’t fair. Not for sows like Hilda or her babies, who didn’t choose this life. And not for the 1.4 million citizens who called to End the Cage Age years ago, and are still waiting for the European Commission to produce the long-awaited cage ban.
No sentient being should have to suffer in this way.
Let’s get cages banned in Europe!
Leave A Legacy To Blesma
Blesma, The Limbless Veterans
Blesma, The Limbless Veterans, is dedicated to assisting serving and ex-Service men and women who have suffered life-changing limb loss or the use of a limb, an eye or loss of sight in the honourable service of our country.
Artbox London Charity
‘Talking Art’ follows Artbox London artists Bobbi, Paul and Toyin from the creation of their work in the studio to speaking about it on-mic in Audible Studios. Having been invited to undertake an initial ‘Studio Training’ session at Audible the previous year, the artists were keen to return to the studio to make this film, where the artists tell us more about their inspiration, creative processes and lives.Having found that the initial training helped improve their confidence in presenting themselves and their art, they also formed a great bond and working relationships with the session director and studio engineer. A film of two parts, the artists are seen in the second half in Audible’s state-of-the-art London studios. An engaging study of the interplay between creation of art and presentation, this film challenges perceptions of what neurodivergent and autistic adults can achieve and is an insightful look into the production of audio and art.
British Hen Welfare Trust
20 years. Over a million hens. Countless kind hearts. 💛
We’re so proud to share our brand new video, voiced by our new wonderful patron Ben Garrod, celebrating two decades of life-changing work for hens and the incredible community that has helped to make it all possible.
From the volunteers lifting hens to new adventures, to the families giving them love, names, and cosy coops – this is your story as much as it is ours. Here’s to the next 20 years of hen hugs, happy dust baths, and even more bright futures
Prison Radio Association
Connection – a film by and about the award-winning charity, the Prison Radio Association
Starring the voices and faces of people with lived experience of prison, and a very well-trained pigeon, Connection celebrates the quiet magic of radio – how a voice on the airwaves can travel across land, through skies, and even between bars.
It shows how our radio station, National Prison Radio, carries hope, connection, and love between people inside and outside prison walls, while helping to reduce reoffending and build brighter futures along the way.
Created by the brilliant minds at Brother Film, with support from The Media Trust, this film captures those powerful moments that remind us: no matter where we are, radio can bring us together. We are proud to support people across prisons in England and Wales through the power of audio – and with your help, we can reach even more.
Ruddi’s Retreat
We create memories that will last forever.
Because when a family is living their worst nightmare, every moment together becomes priceless.
Ruddi’s Retreat provide free holidays for families affected by Cancer, life limiting illness and bereavement of a parent.
Shooting Star Children’s Hospices
When Dylan James’ cancer returned for a final time, his parents Alison and Warren found themselves in the darkest of places. During this time the support from Shooting Star’s nurses, counsellors, housekeepers, family support workers and more, helped them find a little light to guide they way forward after his death. There are so many more families who we know need that light, but we can only reach them with your support.
Scouts
The film shows the new Explorer Scouts programme that has launched, with new and updated badges, more real-world skills and plenty of adventure for young people aged 14–18. Shaped by young people and volunteers, the programme will help Explorers build confidence, prepare for the future and find a place where they belong.
Social Enterprise Kent
In partnership with Kent and Medway Cancer Alliance, Social Enterprise Kent raise awareness of bowel cancer and screening, for earlier diagnosis.
School Food Matters
A collaboration between School Food Matters and Whole Kids, a pillar of the Whole Foods Market Foundation.
Fife Society for the Blind T/A Seescape
The “Visions of Hope” film celebrates 160 years of Seescape (a Scottish charity supporting people with visual impairments).
Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF)
Abdou and his father are separated by 1,500 km of ocean – a distance Abdou travelled in November 2020. He left Joal-Fadiouth, a fishing town in Senegal, and eventually reached Tenerife, a Spanish island off the coast of Morocco, after spending approximately fourteen days at sea in a wooden fishing boat. This route, increasingly used by people in West Africa to reach Europe, is considered one of the most deadly on Earth. In 2023, an estimated 3,000 people departing from Senegal alone lost their lives attempting the same perilous journey.
Fishing runs deep in Abdou’s family. His father, uncle, siblings, cousins, and extended relatives have all worked in Senegal’s artisanal fishing sector – a livelihood now under severe threat. Continued poor fisheries management and the expansion of a largely foreign-owned bottom-trawl fleet have depleted fish populations, jeopardising the economic and social fabric of coastal communities like Joal.
For Abdou, his loved ones, and thousands of others along Senegal’s coastline, the fishing they once depended on is no longer an option. With few alternatives, more and more people are being pushed toward life-threatening journeys, seeking opportunities elsewhere. This escalating, intersecting crisis demands urgent attention and action. China, the EU and other foreign states must take responsibility and work alongside the Senegalese government to ensure sustainable, ethical and legal fisheries before more lives and more livelihoods are lost.
“Adrift” builds on The Environmental Justice Foundation’s (EJF) extensive work in Senegal. Our new report, “The Deadly Route to Europe” further reveals the impacts of overfishing and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Senegal and how fisheries declines in the country are driving irregular migration to Europe.
Power of Polo
Breaking Barriers documents a ground-breaking Power of Polo programme that brings Lambeth police officers and young people from the same community together to confront the deep mistrust shaping their neighbourhood. Over four days, the two groups meet not as “police” and “youth,” but as teammates learning a demanding sport side-by-side. Shared challenges spark respect, conversations begin to flow, and barriers that once felt fixed start to fall. By the end, they have forged a vital new channel of communication they can take back into their neighbourhoods and begin truly working together.
International Animal Rescue
In the heart of Sumatra lies Batutegi Protection Forest, an overlooked but biodiversity-rich ecosystem under constant threat from deforestation, poaching, and illegal logging. Batutegi:Seeds of Hope is a powerful 28-minute documentary that tells the untold story of a pioneering local conservation movement led by our partners, YIARI. Originally scouted as a release site for rescued slow lorises, Batutegi has become a beacon of hope through a community-led conservation model that protects wildlife, restores forest habitat, and improves local livelihoods. Featuring interviews with farmers, forest rangers, law enforcement officers, and conservation leaders, the film reveals the challenges and triumphs of building trust and resilience in the face of ecological crisis. With stunning visuals and heartfelt testimonies, this is a story of revival, of a forest, a community, and a future that depends on both.
Endangered Species Protection Agency
Following the success of Whale Wash, ESPA’s 2023 documentary into the Norwegian whaling industry, the team return to the water. Their objective: to keep whaling in the public eye and highlight the contrasting attitudes taken by two minke whale range states, one of which protects them and the other which sees them as a bounty. ESPA investigators track whaling vessels and talk to conservationists to explore how this overlooked species came to receive such different treatment over nautical borders.
Resource Alliance
Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home
A gift in your Will to Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home gives food, shelter, and love to dogs and cats in need until they find a forever home. Your kindness will keep them safe, loved, and never lonely.
INTO – International National Trusts Organisation
In 2022, INTO was awarded £1.6 million from the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund, to undertake a programme of climate related activity in partnership with organisations across the Middle East and Africa.
Supported by the INTO project team, our international partners are restoring historic sites that are threatened by climate change. This film takes you from Jordan to Zanzibar, to discover how the restoration of local heritage has invigorated communities, increased climate resilience and demonstrated the power of collaboration.
Lightyear Foundation
The film highlights the work of the Lightyear Foundation is a pioneering, disabled-led UK charity dedicated to making Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) inclusive for disabled and neurodivergent children and young people.
Nightingale Hammerson
Nightingale Hammerson is a leading charity providing outstanding residential, nursing, dementia and respite care for older members of the Jewish community. With a heritage spanning more than 185 years, we are dedicated to creating warm, welcoming communities where every Resident is treated with dignity, compassion and respect.
Canal & River Trust
Volunteer Peter shares his amazing angling journey so far and tells us how and why he plans to help keep our work alive.
We’re Canal & River Trust. We care for and protect historic waterways across England and Wales, ensuring they remain places where people and nature can thrive — now and for generations to come. Together, we can keep your canals and rivers alive for everyone to enjoy.
Jewish Women’s Aid
Home should feel safe. But for too many women, home is where fear begins.
Every day, Jewish Women’s Aid supports women and children affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence with advocacy, counselling, practical support, access to legal advice, and therapeutic support for children, helping them rebuild lives free from abuse.
If this film moved you, please help us be there for every woman who needs us.
The St. Matthew’s Project
The film celebrates two decades of grassroots impact by the Brixton-based youth charity, highlighting how it uses football, mentorship, and safe community spaces to empower young people ages 3–25, with many former participants returning to serve as coaches and leaders.
Sustainable Merton
Merton’s Community Fridge isn’t just about saving food — it’s about feeding the soul.
In this heartwarming short film, discover how local volunteers and residents are reducing food waste and loneliness in Merton, one Fridge visit at a time.
From surplus food to shared smiles, the Fridge has become a lifeline — nourishing families, nurturing hearts, and strengthening community resilience.
Over 160,000 kg of food saved (≈388,000 meals)
65 volunteers giving time, care, and compassion each week
Meet the people behind the project and see how a simple idea — sharing good food that would otherwise go to waste — transforms lives. The final words in the film say it all.
Giving unwanted football kit a new home. Since 1998. 1.3 million+ items delivered.
Trees for Cities
For over 30 years, Trees for Cities has worked with communities, schools, local authorities and partners to plant and care for trees in towns and cities, where they are most needed. Join us as we build a Movement for Urban Trees and Tree Equity that will help create healthier, greener and more equitable cities for everyone.
Transform Drug Policy Foundation
Meet Harold, the leader of his local Community Watch, whose views on drugs are rooted in moralising and ignorance just like the UK’s drug policy. “Don’t be a Harold” is a mockumentary that puts a spotlight on the unhelpful and damaging misconceptions that allow the UK’s failing drug laws to persist.
Operation Orphan
An introduction to Operation Orphan’s UK project, Forget-Me-Notts, which supports vulnerable children and families dealing with bed poverty.
Unseen UK
In collaboration with 11 leading construction companies and labour agencies, Unseen has created a powerful short film that highlights the everyday reality of victims and demonstrates key signs for construction site teams to look out for.
This film will be used across the built environment sector, as part of training programmes and site inductions, to raise awareness and increase the chances of exploitation activity being reported.
The companies involved in this initiative – recognise the collective responsibility of businesses at the forefront of the construction sector to educate the wider supply chain and end modern slavery on UK construction sites.
Music in Hospitals & Care
We’re delighted to share this film created by People’s Postcode Lottery about our live music, which features our musicians at hospitals in London and Kirkcaldy. Thanks to St Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Imperial Health Charity and Victoria Hospital, NHS Fife.
ORT UK
When 17 year old Artem fled the war in Ukraine, he was offered a second home at ORT’s Kfar Silver Youth Village near Ashkelon, Israel. Here he thrived as he formed close friendships, felt supported by staff and was encouraged to pursue his love of maths. But when the sirens sounded on October 7th and he was forced to evacuate, he feared his world was about to fall apart all over again.
Free Movement Skateboarding
A mini documentary by Markus Bengtsson. Free Movement, an NGO focusing on fostering solidarity through skate classes in Athens. And two remarkable women, both named Denia, who nurture wellbeing and equality, on and off the board. With their mobile skatepark and weekly sessions across Greece’s capital, they create spaces of safety, inclusivity, and empowerment for youth from all walks of life, including refugees. It is their story that is told through this documentary.
Naturewatch Foundation
A moving animated short that contrasts two starkly different fates: laboratory beagles subjected to animal testing versus pet dogs enjoying safe, loving homes. The video serves as a powerful call to action to raise awareness and campaign for an end to animal testing.
Tradeaid
The film explores the rich history, Swahili culture, and architectural heritage of the ancient port town in southern Tanzania, while highlighting how community-driven museum and Trade Aid initiatives preserve local artifacts and foster economic and cultural empowerment.
Dementia UK
Need some good news? Manny is proof that small actions can make a big impact.
He started ‘Samosa Saturdays’ to give away samosas at Wolves games in exchange for donations to Dementia UK. Since then, Manny’s gone on to help more and more people with dementia.
Watch and share our video to see the impact of Manny’s fundraising and so more people hear about the incredible work of our Admiral Nurses and are inspired to join us in making sure our support is there for everyone who needs it.
Life for a Child
We’re supporting over 60,000 young people, providing essential supplies, education, advocacy, and knowledge that give each child the chance to live, and thrive.
The Lily Foundation
Mitochondrial disease is one of around 6,000 rare diseases. It affects just 1 in 5,000 people, yet its impact can be devastating. It’s debilitating, life-limiting and there is currently no cure. The Lily Foundation are working tirelessly to change this.
Living with mitochondrial disease takes courage every single day. But it also takes support – for the patients, families and carers facing a condition that’s still little-known and often misunderstood.
This Rare Disease Day, your donation can make a real difference. With your help, we can ensure that no one has to face mitochondrial disease alone.
Juvenile Arthritis Research
A short film created to raise awareness that children and young people get arthritis too, and to highlight some of the challenges they may face. Co-developed with those with lived experience of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA).
With thanks to Alicia, Elitsa, and all involved in making this film a reality.
Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice
There’s a moment every family remembers.
The moment they hear news that changes everything. A diagnosis. A difficult conversation. News no family ever expects to hear.
But they don’t have to face what comes next alone.
In our new film for 2026, three families courageously share their stories, showing what it means to have specialist care, support and understanding when they need it most.
We can’t change a diagnosis, but we can change what happens next.
As we mark 20 years of Noah’s Ark, we’re aiming to raise £1 million to help us be there for more children and families when they need us most.
Young K&C
The film highlights the impactful work of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s cross-sector youth partnership, showcasing how the organization brings together local charities, youth workers, and businesses to distribute grants, provide training, and empower young people across the community.
Kintsugi Hope
Nathan’s story is just one of thousands of stories of people finding hope and safety in a Kintsugi Hope Wellbeing Group.
Pledgeball
The journey rolls on as Laurence McKenna and Alex Moneypenny head into the heart of the Lone Star State for the third leg of their flight-free American road trip.
Crossing Texas, the lads dive into the increasing difficulties of producing food in a hostile climate. They sit down with a lifetime cattle rancher who opens up about the severe challenges of raising livestock in punishing heatwaves and enduring droughts.
Arriving in Dallas, they dive into the city’s surprisingly strong relationship with the beautiful game before visiting a local organic grower to find out more about his sustainable process. They also pay a visit to fledgling club Atletico Dallas to discover how they are growing the sport to provide a vital pillar for the local community, before capping off the trip by savouring some classic Texan BBQ.
The Washing Machine Project
The Washing Machine Project distributing 30 manual washing machines to an Iraqi refugee camp.
Football For Future
Football gives communities far more than a game. It creates opportunity, belonging, health, education and hope. But across the world, climate change is increasingly threatening the places where football begins. This documentary tells the story of Mathare 4A, a community football pitch in Nairobi, Kenya, which was severely impacted by flooding. Through the voices of players, coaches and community leaders, the film explores how climate change is affecting grassroots football and why climate adaptation is essential to protecting the future of the game.
Raspberry Pi Foundation
Marie had no experience in tech but that didn’t stop her launching a Code Club in the heart of Tottenham. As the founder of Breadline London, she saw how digital skills could help children in her community shape their own futures. With support from the Raspberry Pi Foundation and Haringey Giving, Marie created a safe, fun space for experimentation and creativity. Her club is about more than just tech — it’s about confidence, collaboration, and breaking barriers. Marie’s story is proof that you don’t need to be a tech expert to change lives. You just need a commitment to your community and the willingness to learn alongside them.
Ripple Africa
Meet Watson, our Education Coordinator, as he tells you all about our eight pre-schools in Malawi. We provide a safe learning environment for more than a thousand children aged two to six every year. Our enthusiastic teachers run lessons and encourage learning through play. There is plenty of singing and dancing before receiving a nutritious breakfast of sweet potato.
LGBT Foundation
The film highlights the essential services, advice, and community programs provided to LGBTQ+ individuals across the UK, encouraging donations and support to ensure these life-changing resources remain available for those in need.
The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet
As electricity demand grows, the systems that deliver it must evolve too. Grids of the Future takes us to India, where utilities are using digital mapping, AI, battery storage and other technologies to build a smarter, more resilient and renewables-ready grid. Through the people transforming the system on the ground, the film shows how modernizing the grid can unlock clean energy, strengthen reliability and ultimately power better jobs, stronger communities and greater opportunity.
Community Resilience Assembly 2025
Islington Climate Centre
Organised by the Islington Climate Centre, the Climate Resilience Assembly was a hands-on, peer-to-peer learning event for community practitioners, organisers, and local leaders to share their lived experiences—their successes, challenges, and practical tips—with others starting or scaling their journey.
Best For You NHS
We asked autistic young people about their experiences – and this animation uses the exact words they said to us. The film shares personal perspectives from young people on navigating autism, highlighting experiences with sensory overstimulation, routine, and social batteries, alongside the positive role of supportive families, safe spaces, and self-acceptance.
Future for Ukraine
Thousands of Ukrainian women today are experiencing a state of ambiguous loss — a state in which contact with their loved ones has been severed and every day is filled with painful uncertainty. We want to make this pain visible to the whole world, because ambiguous loss is a deep trauma, and you should not have to live through it alone.
The goal of this video is to remind everyone who is waiting that your resilience is an example to everyone, but asking for help is okay. As part of the GIDNA project, we have created a safe space where women can receive free psychological help, rebuild their inner strength, and find the courage to move forward.
The Haller Foundation
Told by the children at Nguuni in Kenya, Haller’s new film shares our story through the eyes of the next generation.
Created in partnership with the Regen Trust, the film explores Haller’s work supporting communities to build sustainable livelihoods while caring for the land they depend on. It also introduces an innovative new project bringing together regenerative farming, clean water and renewable energy. Muthoni Muchiri explains the project and brings its impact to life, alongside the brilliant children whose energy and enthusiasm make this film so special.
SATEDA
The film highlights the support and service provided by SATEDA , specialist domestic abuse charity operating in Kent, England (primarily focusing on Swale and Maidstone).
SATEDA is a specialist domestic abuse charity working across Kent to support women and children affected by domestic abuse. Their mission is to help women and children move beyond abuse, rebuild their lives and create safer futures.
Through specialist community-based support, recovery programmes, dedicated services for children and young people, and training and awareness-raising, SATEDA works alongside women and families to support lasting recovery, safety and independence. They also provide Kent’s only specialist family court support service for women affected by domestic abuse, recognising the additional trauma and barriers survivors can face when navigating the family justice system.
Hear Her brings these often-overlooked experiences into focus. Produced by Media Trust Films in partnership with SATEDA, the film gives voice to women navigating the family courts following domestic abuse, revealing the emotional impact, systemic challenges and urgent need for specialist, trauma-informed support.
Mectizan Donation Program
This year we’re celebrating 5 billion Mectizan treatments donated for countries fighting river blindness and lymphatic filariasis. In 1987 former Merck* CEO Roy Vagelos made an extraordinary promise: the donation of Mectizan—“as much as needed, for as long as needed.” Merck’s commitment has had an enormous impact over the past 38 years: nine countries have eliminated river blindness or lymphatic filariasis, with more on the horizon. Enjoy this video of the kickoff celebration of 5 billion treatments held at the Mectizan production facility at MSD Haarlem, the Netherlands
Mectizan Donation Program
The film presents the organic catering and school lunch initiative provided by Kinderwelt Hamburg for students at the Heinrich-Hertz-Schule, highlighting their commitment to 100% organic ingredients, sustainable food sourcing, and balanced nutrition for young people.
USEL
The film presents how UEL as an organization was created to assist people with health related conditions and disabilities gain and sustain employment.
Carefree
Carefree worked with award-winning director, Jason Smith, on this crucial campaign to raise awareness of the extraordinary challenges faced by unpaid carers. The campaign, ‘Change Happens Overnight’ consists of five films, each of which features an unpaid carer whose story is revealed through emotionally-charged fragments of dialogue as we see them enjoying the restorative bliss of a short break, made possible by leveraging the hotel industry’s excess capacity. As each film unfolds, our emotions move from one extreme to another as we feel the transformation from trauma to peace, culminating in the revelation of the scale of the opportunity.
The Change Happens Overnight campaign, including Michael’s story. was conceived for Carefree by Jason Smith, who shot the films over two days with cinematographer Martin Hill. The films were produced by Danny Fleet and Brad Smith at Presence, while post-production was provided by Gramercy Park Studios, part of Hogarth Worldwide, and music by Racket Music. Project direction provided by James Ricketts, co-founder of Carefree.
Barons Court Project Ltd
A film about the Barons Court Project Raise The Roof Campaign. It highlights the work of the Barons Court Project—a charity supporting people who are homeless or vulnerable to homelessness in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham—showcasing their community initiatives, support services, and commitment to helping individuals rebuild their lives.
RIFT Social Enterprise
A reflective documentary project featuring the lived experiences and creative expressions of women detained at Her Majesty’s Prison Eastwood Park, highlighting their personal journeys, challenges, and aspirations for rehabilitation and a fresh start.