Livability: Hinwick students win prestigious film award

Monday, 16 February 2009 12:00 AM

A group of students from Hinwick Hall near Wellingborough, a college for young adults with complex disabilities, were among the runners up of a national short film competition, announced yesterday.

The seven students made their voices heard on a national stage on Thursday night at an awards evening in London where the winning films were shown. Oscar-winning film producer Lord Puttnam presented the students with their prizes.

The students Avtar Sandhu, Paul Huston, Ben Satchell, Terri-Ann Rose, Rhys McClellan-Evans, Callum McCready and Lee Morton all have learning difficulties and use signing or high-tech devices to help them communicate.

In their film, Listen, Understand, Hear, they are interviewed by staff and discuss what is important to them in their lives, including families, football and music. Their message is that people need to be patient, to listen and to spend time with them if they are to make their voices heard. As runners up Hinwick Hall receives £500 in Amazon vouchers for educational resources.

Lord Puttnam said: "I thought that Hinwick Halls entry was an incredibly brave film. It said something to me about technology: that you put the right technology with human beings, and the desire to learn together, and you create incredible results."

Lee Morton, student at Hinwick Hall, said: "The film asked people to listen, hear and understand us and to spend time with us and our friends. Communication helps us to become more confident and independent. I loved being in the film I really loved it."

Notes:

For media information contact Cathy McKenzie on 020 7452 2082 or pressoffice@livability.org.uk
Interviews and images available.

Hinwick Hall is a Further Education College near Wellingborough, offering education for disabled young people.

Hinwick Hall College is owned and operated by national disability charity, Livability.

Livability is the new name for merged charities John Grooms and the Shaftesbury Society, which provides care services and support to over 8,000 disabled children and adults throughout the UK.

Livability is now one of the largest Christian disability charities in the UK. Livability provides a range of services to support disabled people of all ages. Services include: tailored educational support, social development programmes and a range of housing solutions. Livability incorporates a wheelchair specialist housing association with properties countrywide.

The Learning and Skills Network (LSN) is an independent not for profit organisation committed to making a difference to education and training: www.lsneducation.org.uk

Tags: