November 2007
Media Trust announces successful bid to lead Capacitybuilders’ funded marketing and communications national support service
Media Trust's bid to lead the Capacitybuilders’ funded marketing and
communications service for third sector support agencies has been
successful.
Media
Trust looks forward to working with Capacitybuilders and its delivery
and support partners - The National Council for Voluntary Organisations
(NCVO), The National Association for Voluntary and Community Action
(NAVCA),The Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector Organisations
(CEMVO), Community Foundation Network, Cass Business School, London,
CharityComms, (bassac) and Rural Net UK Limited (RNUK Ltd), as well as
preferred bidders from the other national support services workstreams,
to develop its business plan and start providing support from April
2008.
The funding totals in the region of £1.3 million over a
three year period and will support the delivery of a range of
innovative marketing and communication services for second tier
organisations providing support to front-line organisations.
Martin Nee, Director of Marketing and Communication at Media Trust said:
“Media
Trust is delighted to have been selected as preferred bidder for
delivery of the Marketing and Communications National Support Service.
Working with our other partners, we will draw on our existing expertise
and resources at the same time as developing exciting new initiatives
aimed at transforming the way the sector communicates”
Caroline Diehl, Chief Executive, Media Trust, said:
“Media Trust
wants to see a society where the Third Sector is widely visible,
effective and celebrated. Successful marketing and communications is
key to the sector's future”.
For further information please contact Penny Crook at Media Trust on 020 7874 7651 or email pennyc@communitychannel.org.
November 2007
Mediabox and ITV Local Search For Aspiring Broadcast Journalists
A new Broadcast Journalism Competition to find potential young broadcast journalists aged 13-19 living in Yorkshire is being launched by Mediabox and ITV Local.
The competition will encourage young people with a “nose” for a story and knowledge of their local community to enter. Competition winners will get the chance to try broadcast journalism and will get the chance to represent the voice of the young people in their local area and report on topical issues which matter to them.
Five young people will each win £500 to create their own broadcast journalism report. Those shortlisted will also be invited to an all-expenses paid practical film making workshop at the National Media Museum in Bradford on Saturday 15th December. On the same day, each young person will be matched to a media industry mentor through Media Trust’s Youth Mentoring initiative.
All five reports will be broadcast on the ITV Local Yorkshire website and on Charge, Community Channel’s youth platform. The final winning film will also be featured on ITV Yorkshire’s award winning news programme Calendar.
Entering is simple and quick – all entrants need to do is write up to 200 words on what their broadcast journalism report would be about, along with some information on why they think it is important to have their say. Entry details are on the Mediabox website and the closing deadline is 6pm on Sunday 2nd December 2007.
The competition is aimed specifically at young people who don’t usually get the opportunity to participate in positive activities such as young people from deprived areas, those in care or who are carers,excluded or about to be excluded from school, young parents, ethnic minority groups and young people with learning difficulties or disabilities. Full eligibility criteria are listed on www.media-box.co.uk/itv/.
Mark Waddington, Channel Manager for ITV Local Yorkshire, said:
“Encouraging
talent and telling local stories has always been important to ITV here
in Yorkshire. This is a great opportunity share your story and gain
some valuable experience – we’ll all be watching you”
Mediabox is a £6 million Department for Children, Schools and Families fund for disadvantaged young people to make creative media projects about the issues that are important to them.
For further press information please call David Levantis on 020 7874 7641 or email davidl@mediatrust.org.
October 2007
16 year old wins Mediabox and Channel 4's documentary making competition
Georgina Studd, aged 16, from Greenwich, South London is soon to be the
youngest disabled person to have a documentary broadcast on Channel 4.
Georgina
is the overall winner of the 2007 Mediabox and Channel 4’s FourDocs
Documentary Making Competition, which gave ten disadvantaged young
people aged 13-19 the opportunity to write, direct and produce their
own short documentaries.
The innovative competition was launched in July, supported with on air announcements on Channel 4, E4 and online. Young people were asked to write a short synopsis of their documentary idea, inspired by an issue they were passionate about.
Georgina’s documentary was chosen as the clear winner by the judges including documentary filmmakers Nick Broomfield and Molly Dineen.
As a sufferer of cerebral palsy and confined to a wheelchair,
Georgina made a sensitive and insightful documentary about the
difficulties she faces during her summer holidays. Her four-minute
film, entitled “Georgina Goes Out”, will be broadcast on Channel 4 in
Spring 2008.
The films are currently available to view on FourDocs and will be shown on Charge, Community Channel’s youth platform, with the runners up films scheduled for broadcast in the autumn.
Hundreds
of young people entered the competition, submitting a diverse range of
creative ideas. Out of these, ten finalists were short listed and each
given £500 to make their documentaries.
The finalists’ ten
stories were topical, thought provoking and controversial – ranging
from the story of a gay teenager, to the experience of a young offender
under curfew, to the life of a westernised Muslim living in the UK and
a documentary about what life is like living in care.
Andy
Duncan, Chief Executive, Channel 4 said: “This has been a remarkable
journey for the ten young people who took part in the FourDocs
filmmaking competition and I am delighted that Channel 4 has been able
to support it in partnership with Mediabox. At Channel 4 we are
committed to nurturing new talent and initiatives like this ensure that
emerging creatives from all parts of society are given a very real
chance. In the future we hope to see more people like Georgina given a
platform for their voices to be heard.”
Each of the ten
finalists was assigned a film industry mentor to guide and advise them
through the film making process. The young people and their mentors
also attended an intensive practical film making workshop at Channel 4.
The mentors were provided by Media Trust’s Youth Mentoring scheme which links disadvantaged young people to media industry professionals.
The
competition was funded by Mediabox, a £6 million Department for
Children, Schools and Families fund for disadvantaged young people aged
13-19 to make creative media projects. FourDocs is Channel 4’s
broadband documentary channel offering both practical support and a
high profile platform for people to make and display their own
documentaries. The Mediabox and Channel 4’s FourDocs competition was
therefore a perfect partnership, with the key aim of showcasing young
people’s work on mainstream platforms.
Following the
overwhelming success of the competition, it is to be repeated in 2008.
In future, Mediabox will also be teaming up with media partners from
other disciplines, such as print, radio, photography and games,
enabling many more young people to create media projects across a
diverse range of mediums.
For more information about Mediabox, please visit www.media-box.co.uk. To view all ten films from the 2007 Mediabox and Channel 4’s FourDocs Documentary Making Competition please visit www.channel4.com/fourdocs.
October 2007
Media Trust Productions and Samaritans win at IVCA’s Clarion Awards 2007
Samaritans
WorkLife CD-Rom has won the Communication Products, Interactive Media
category at this year’s International Visual Communications Association
(IVCA)’s Clarion Awards, held at the BFI Southbank in London on Friday
(28th September).
The Clarion Awards were launched five years ago and celebrate the finest examples of responsible communication on Sustainable Development, Cultural Aspiration, Social Inclusion and CSR. Among the other winners at this year’s awards were Procter and Gamble for their Ariel “Do a Good Turn” campaign; The Royal Navy for ‘The Abolition of Slavery 200’ and Accenture for ‘Minority of One’. Toyota, The WWF and The National Trust also collected awards for outstanding climate change communications.
During the ceremony celebrity winners such as Moira Stuart, Kevin Spacey, Julie Christie and PD James spoke about the importance of ethical communications.
Samaritans collaborated with Media Trust Productions to produce this interactive learning resource that helps busy managers tackle the causes of stress in the workplace.
Narrated by The Observer’s Ethical Columnist Lucy Siegle (picture above left), the Samaritans WorkLife The CD-Rom, with its high quality mix of content and interactive elements, aims to reduce the potential for tension and stress within the workplace by developing managers’ skills and confidence to tackle problems before they escalate, increasing productivity and profitability.
The programme includes aspects of Samaritans unique ‘active listening skills’, which have now been adapted for use within the workplace and features a series of fictional characters who are on hand to help participants explore challenging work situations.
The IVCA’s Clarion Awards are dedicated to recognising best practice in communicating the importance of CSR, sustainable development, social inclusion and ethical debate.
Earlier this year the Samaritans WorkLife CD-Rom won the International Visual Communications Association (IVCA) gold ‘e-learning’ award and the Bronze Award for 'External Interactive Media', demonstrating a creative use of technology for the good of society.
Samaritans’ External Training Co-ordinator, Jonathan Moran said: “Samaritans is committed to playing a key role in tackling the causes of stress in the workplace. Our first fully interactive CD-Rom sets the standard as a resource to equip managers with the skills and confidence to help staff feel valued and motivated in the workplace. We are delighted to have worked with Media Trust Productions who produced the CD-Rom and brought our ideas to life in a creative and believable way.”
Rita Shamia, Head of Charity and Corporate Films at Media Trust Productions said: “Samaritans challenged us to come up with a creative and engaging way of delivering their existing training package in a digital format. We are delighted to have been involved in producing a unique resource that will support emotional health within the workplace”
For further information please contact Penny Crook at Media Trust on 020 7874 7651 or email pennyc@communitychannel.org.
September 2007
Video Arts distribution deal for Samaritans WorkLife CD-Rom
A distribution deal for Media Trust Productions interactive training CD-Rom for Samaritans, has just been concluded with Video Arts.
'WorkLife for Managers' uses a combination of graphics and drama to help managers recognise signs of tension and stress in their staff and is the recipient of two IVCA Awards.
“Video Arts are pretty much the market leader for promoting workplace training products and they absolutely love it. There is nothing else out there like it and as one of their sales team said to me today 'it would have been very easy to have produced something worthy and dull - you certainly haven't done that'.”
- Jonathan Moran, Samaritans External Training Services Co-ordinator
Kim Wigfield, Marketing Manager for Video Arts also said of the deal:
“Video Arts are very excited to promote WorkLife for Managers to our UK and worldwide clients. Its fresh and dynamic approach fits excellently into in our portfolio of behavioural and soft skill programmes. And more importantly, work-life balance is a key business as well as personal issue and this CD-ROM is the best of its kind.”
The CD-ROM is now featured in their on-line catalogue.
For further information about the CD-Rom or Media Trust Productions please email info@mediatrust.org.
September 2007
Media Trust appoints new Director of Production and Digital Media
Media Trust has appointed Peter Weil as Director of Production and
Digital Media, to lead a new joint operation, bringing together its
production arm, Media Trust Productions, and Community Channel under
one head.
Caroline Diehl, Media Trust CEO, said: "The two teams are increasingly working together, producing award-winning charity content for distribution on a wide range of platforms, including Community Channel, Sky channels, Five, ITV Local, Joost, and many others. This is a very exciting move, and Peter has just the right skills, experience and passions to grow the reach and impact of this important area of our work."
Peter Weil said "I'm thrilled to join Caroline and her colleagues at
Media Trust. Their work is unique and demonstrates the true potential
of the media to support the community. The team has shown real verve
and flair in pioneering a new style of television and film-making. I
greatly look forward to working with a terrific group of professionals
as together we take our business to the next level."
Weil most
recently worked at Discovery Networks where he was the General Manager
of Animal Planet International. Prior to that he worked on Granada TV's
pioneering social action series, "Reports Action", set up the BBC's
first Youth Programmes department in Northern Ireland, launched BBC
One's "Open Air" and ran the BBC's Topical Features Department which
included the Community Programmes Unit ("Open Space", "Video Diaries"),
"That's Life!", "Children In Need" and the charity programme,
"Lifeline". Weil also devised and edited Channel 4's "People's
Parliament".
Nick Ware has decided to leave the channel after two years as Controller, where he commissioned most of the Channel’s most successful content including RHS Britain in Bloom and Saving A Stranger, and this year took it to the short-list for Digital Channel of the Year.
Caroline Diehl said: “Thanks to Nick’s dedication and commitment, the Channel's audience reach and response has been growing steadily, giving a public-facing digital platform to thousands of charities and community organisations across the UK.”
Adam Perry, Community Channel’s Head of Programmes and Campaigns, will take responsibility for the day-to-day running of the Channel.
Jane Stephenson who has been running Media Trust Productions for the
past four years, will work alongside Peter in her role as Creative
Director.
For further information please contact Penny Crook at Media Trust on 0207 874 7651 or 07866 690 542, or Rachel Lailey on 0207 874 7098
September 2007
Volunteer Films 3 - Application deadline extended to 21st September
Small charities invited to apply for a high-quality short film worth up to £15 000. Actual cost to charity only £1 000.
Volunteer Films 3 is now in production, and Media Trust is again offering small charities, with an annual turnover of less than £2 million, the chance to have their own broadcast quality short film made by media professionals. The films, which will be broadcast on Community Channel, are produced specifically for and about each charity. It’s a unique opportunity for small organisations that can't afford to commission such a powerful marketing tool that would normally potentially cost them between £10 000 - £15 000 .
Now in its third year, Volunteer Films has seen more than 50 films
made for small UK charities, and the equivalent of £500,000* donated in
time and resources by the media industry. Last year’s films involved
the professional help of film-makers from the BBC and other leading
production companies. Jon Snow, Presenter and Deputy Chairman of Media
Trust, narrated one of the films last year for BME charity PRIAE, as
did DJ Spoony, who chose to support the sports charity London Youth
Rowing.
Following a brief and consultation with the volunteer producers, the
film is produced with the charities’ objective at the forefront,
whether that be raising awareness or attracting volunteers. It’s an
invaluable communication tool, as was discovered by LIVE, one of the
charities involved in last year’s Volunteer Films:
“Media Trust
has enabled me to convey two massive projects that come under the LIVE
banner in 3.5 minutes, which has drastically improved the efficiency
and effectiveness of my meetings, made the project far more attractive,
and ultimately made us look a whole lot more professional” Sam Conniff,
Director of LIVE Futures.
The actual total cost to each charity is only £1,000, for which a
broadcast quality film is produced, with guaranteed airtime on
Community Channel. The charity is also provided with a DVD copy of the
film, and given a version suitable for streaming on the Internet.
Previous films have been screened at local cinemas, streamed onto
networking websites and broadcast on BBC2 Learning Zone.
“This year we’re also offering each charity a free consultation with
one of our marketing/PR volunteers, to ensure the films achieve maximum
impact”, says Charlotte Green, Volunteer Films project manager.
All charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits with
a turnover of under £2 million are now welcome to apply. We’ve already
received applications from over 30 charities, but have extended the
deadline 21st September, for films to be made later on in the year.
For further information and an application form, contact the Volunteer Film Unit on 020 7874 7640 or email charlotteg@mediatrust.org.
August 2007
Media Trust Productions shortlisted for IVCA Clarion Award
The
shortlist for this year’s IVCA Clarion Awards has been released and
Media Trust Productions have been nominated in the Communication
Products: Interactive Media category for the Samaritans Worklife CD-ROM.
The Clarion Awards were launched 5 years ago and celebrate the finest examples of responsible communication on Sustainable Development, Cultural/Social Aspiration, Social Inclusion and CSR across all media platforms
In being shortlisted for a Clarion Award nominees join a select group which includes past winners such as the Al Gore film An Inconvenient Truth, Barclays Bank, Honda, The Guardian newspaper and Friends of the Earth; as well as the best in socially responsible Radio, TV and Theatre including Woman’s Hour, the BBC Two series It’s Not Easy Being Green and The National Theatre.
The winners will be announced at the award ceremony at the BFI Southbank (formerly the National Film Theatre) on the 28th September to a capacity audience of leading figures from business, government and the arts.
For a full list of nominees please visit the Clarion nominees shorlist on the IVCA website.
For more information, awards collateral or interview requests please contact Henry Hicks on t: 020 7512 0571 m: 07740 068 608 e: henryhicks@ivca.org
August 2007
Lights, Camera, Action!
Aspiring Young Filmmakers Present Ideas To VIP Judging Panel In “Dragon’s Den” Style Pitch
Top Government and TV industry leading lights gave invaluable advice
and guidance to a group of aspiring young London film makers on Tuesday
28th August. A VIP judging panel featuring Minister of State for
Children, Young People and Families Beverley Hughes, CBBC Blue Peter
Presenter Andy Akinwolere and Chairman of Mediabox and one of the UK’s
top TV executives, Clive Jones, watched young people take to the stage
and present their film making ideas in an energetic “Dragon’s Den”
style pitch.
The young people, all aged between 13-19, are
taking part in Media Writes, Connections Communications Centre’s*
Mediabox funded project, which will enable 60 disadvantaged young
people in the Boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham and Harrow the
opportunity to attend creative workshops and accredited training in
film production. The young people will work with a team of experts to
learn camera skills, sound, editing and music for film. The project
will produce six short films - all entirely led and produced by the
young people taking part.
Connections Communications Centre
recently received £80,000 of Mediabox funding which has financed this
innovative project. Mediabox is the Department for Children, Schools
and Families* fund for disadvantaged young people to make media
projects about the issues that are important to them. As well as
funding the creative projects, Mediabox also works to ensure young
people’s work is seen by the widest possible audience.
The
Dragon’s Den style audition was filmed by Mediabox young people and
will be broadcast on the Mediabox site and Charge, Community Channel’s
interactive platform for young people.
London based youth
organisations are invited to apply for Mediabox grants - the next
funding deadline is 18th September 2007. Interested organisations
should visit www.media-box.co.uk for more information.
August 2007
Mediabox gives creative opportunities to 900 young people accross England
Third round funding is announced
Eight Big Mediabox grants of up to £80,000 and 16 Mid Mediabox grants of up to £20,000 have been awarded to organisations working with young people aged 13-19 years old across England, totalling a significant £907,132.90 of funding.
Mediabox is the Department for Children, Schools and Families* (DCSF) £6 million fund for disadvantaged young people to make creative media projects, about the issues that are important to them.
The successful projects are some of the most creative and thought-provoking Mediabox has funded to date.
Examples include:
- 'Inside Out' is a series of three TV dramas and a documentary made with prisoners from three Young Offenders Institutions in the North of England in partnership with The Prisons Video Trust. The prisoners will be encouraged to draw on their own experiences to create true drama.
- Streetwise’s project 'The Cutting Edge', will engage 40 young African women aged 15-19 to develop a local and national awareness raising campaign of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and the impact of this practice on the lives of young African women in the UK. The young women will develop a photography project culminating in a public exhibition and an awareness raising event/conference for professionals working with young women on FGM. They will also produce a publication detailing a fictitious story about FGM, based on their experiences.
- Latimer Films’ project 'The Rap Musical', will be an innovative film/TV piece drawing on the experiences of young people in care in 2007. The film will be loosely based on Charles Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist. The project will be run as a professional production – with young people driving all areas, including script development, use of camera, shot selection, story boarding, sound, location scouting, creation of film score and rap soundtrack.
Successful projects in the third round of funding are:
Big Mediabox
- Knowle West Media Centre, Bristol - £79,226
- The Prisons Video Trust, London - £80,000
- Threshold Studios, Northants - £80,000
- C Media Productions, South Yorkshire - £78,000
- North East Lincolnshire Council, Arts Development - £77,109
- Zebra Access, Wolverhampton - £57,500
- Interplay Film, West Yorkshire - £75,951
- Media For Development, London - £74,485
Mid Mediabox
- Streetwise, Newcastle Upon Tyne - £20,000
- MAMA Youth Project, London - £19,945
- Westminster Befriend a Family, London - £19,598
- Regional Youth Work Unit – North East, Tyne and Wear - £16,450
- Barnardo’s South West Regional Office, Bristol - £10,000
- Junk TV Festivals Ltd, Brighton - £20,000
- Latimer Films, London - £20,000
- The SeaChange Trust, Norfolk, £20,000
- Focal Point Gallery, Southend Borough Council, Essex, £19,983
- TRELYA, Cornwall, £20,000
- Soft Touch Arts Ltd, Leicester, £20,000
- Beat, Norfolk, £19,989
- Camden Arts Centre, London - £19,018
- Sheffield South City Learning Centre, South Yorkshire - £20,000
- Gateshead Crossroads Caring for Carers, Tyne and Wear - £19,877
- City of Wolverhampton College, West Midlands - £20,000
Leigh Thomas, Executive Director, Mediabox said “The third round of Mediabox features some really challenging topics that young people feel are important to them to explore through various types of media. It is fantastic that these often difficult subjects will be explored by young people allowing them the opportunity to have their say through Mediabox.”
Organisations wishing to apply for Mediabox funding should visit www.media-box.co.uk for more information. The next funding deadline is 18th September 2007.
For press enquiries please call Samantha Jobber at Media Trust on 0207 874 7642 or email samanthaj@mediatrust.org.
July 2007
Channel 4’S Fourdocs and Mediabox search for budding filmmakers of tomorrow.
Aspiring Michael Moore’s, Morgan Spurlock’s and Molly Dineen’s take
note - Channel 4’s FourDocs and Mediabox have joined forces to create
an exclusive competition for disadvantaged 13-19 year olds to write,
direct and produce their own short documentaries. Ten films will be
made and the overall winning film will be broadcast on Channel 4.
Mediabox
is a £6 million Department for Children, Schools and Families fund for
disadvantaged young people to make creative media projects about issues
that are important to them. FourDocs is Channel 4’s broadband
documentary channel offering both practical support and a high profile
platform for people to make and display their own personal
documentaries. The Mediabox partnership with FourDocs is therefore a
perfect fit whose key aim is to showcase young people’s work on
mainstream platforms.
The competition launches on Saturday 30th June and aspiring film makers should visit www.channel4.com/mediabox
to submit a 200 word proposal. The judging panel is looking for unique
ideas that will translate well into a 3-5 minute film. There are no
restrictions on ideas – applicants should let their imaginations run
wild! The closing date for entries is 6pm on Monday 16th July.
Ten finalists will win £500 to create their film and will be assigned a
film industry mentor who will guide them through the film making
process.
Mediabox and Channel 4 will also host a practical
workshop for the mentors and young people, aimed at fleshing out ideas
and advising on all aspects of film production. The mentors will be
provided by Media Trust’s Youth Mentoring scheme which links
disadvantaged young people to media industry professionals and Channel
4.
The competition is specifically for young people who don’t
usually have the opportunity to participate in positive activities –
full eligibility details are listed on the site. Examples include young
people from economically deprived areas, those in care or who are
carers, excluded or about to be excluded from school, young parents,
ethnic minority groups and young people with learning difficulties or
disabilities.
Andy Duncan, Chief Executive, Channel 4 said: “I
am delighted that Channel 4 is able to support this documentary
filmmaking initiative for disadvantaged young people in partnership
with Mediabox and help provide a platform for those whose voice
otherwise remains unheard. We at Channel 4 are committed to nurturing
talent and initiatives like this ensure that emerging creatives from
all parts of society are given a very real chance.”
Ten films
will be made and the overall winning film will be chosen in September
and broadcast on Channel 4 and Community Channel’s youth platform
Charge in the autumn.
For further press information please call:
• Georgia Dussaud on 020 7874 7643 georgiad@mediatust.org
• Rebecca Ladbury on 020 7306 5547 rladbury@channel4.co.uk
July 2007
Media Trust Cymru announces first corporate members
Precedent Communications and Golley Slater pledge their support
Leading media charity, Media Trust, has secured its first corporate
members in Wales. Precedent Communications and Golley Slater, as
founding corporate members will work with Media Trust Cymru to boosts
its presence in Wales over the coming months. Golley Slater and
Precedent have also agreed to sit on Media Trust Cymru’s advisory board.
Media
Trust is already established at the heart of the media community in the
UK, with its Chairman Andy Duncan, Chief Executive of Channel 4 and
Deputy Chairman Channel 4 News’ Jon Snow.
Media Trust Cymru
plans to open up its free online Media Matching to Welsh charities and
community organisations. Media Matching works to identify media
professionals with skills they can share to meet charities’
communications needs. It is envisaged that this service will launch
later this year if sufficient support can be found. In addition, the
charity offers welsh charities access to the Community Channel and
media training.
Helen Beckett, Head of Communications at Media
Trust, said, “We are delighted to welcome Precedent Communications and
Golley Slater on board. Having secured support from both of these well
established communications companies, we hope over the coming months
that more media companies will become members of Media Trust Cymru.”
Remeny
Armitage of Precedent Communications said, “Precedent has a strong
heritage working with charities and so we are extremely proud to be one
of the first corporate members of Media Trust Cymru. In addition to
this, we are really pleased to be invited to join Media Trust Cymru’s
advisory board alongside the likes of BBC Wales and S4C. We hope that
our presence, together with other members, will help Media Trust Cymru
support local charities in Wales with the same success as Media Trust
has seen in England.”
Matt Appleby Director of Golley Slater PR,
Cardiff, said: “We are delighted to become a corporate member of Media
Trust Cymru. Golley Slater has a strong tradition of supporting links
between charities and the communications profession in Wales and we are
delighted to support Media Trust Cymru’s plans for expanding the reach
of their services.”
Find out more about Media Trust Cymru.
July 2007
Media Trust Cymru to explore media opportunities for young volunteers
Media Trust Cymru appoints Ruth Parry to lead new study
Media Trust Cymru, is delighted to announce the appointment of
consultant Ruth Parry to undertake a feasibility study within Wales.
Media Trust Cymru is part of Media Trust, the charity that brings the
media and charities together.
The study which will be undertaken
by Ruth Parry, for Media Trust Cymru, will explore the feasibility of
placing young people, both volunteers and those who are working within
charities with experienced professional (young) mentors who are
employed in the media/communication and creative industry - they could
be camera people, sound recordists, reporters, lighting experts,
directors etc.
Ruth has worked in various capacities for
companies such as Drake av, Petersens, Grayling, Autism Cymru, BBC and
S4C. She worked as a producer/presenter with the BBC in Cardiff for
many years and opened the first Welsh speaking children’s day nursery
“Si-lwli” in the Welsh capital in the early 90’s.
During the
next 2 months Ruth will be active with many charities all over Wales -
holding focus groups and face to face structured interviews in both
Welsh and English. She will be sending out questionnaires to interested
charities and companies who may wish to join a scheme that will open up
a myriad of opportunities for young people in Wales. This Media Trust
Cymru project has been made possible thanks to the Active Community
Russell Commission enhanced fund and in partnership with the Welsh
Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA).
If you are a charity or
individual interested in any part of this venture please do not
hesitate to contact Ruth Parry. She says “Please come on board and help
make this happen for the young people of Wales”. You can email Ruth at:
ruthp@mediatrust.org
Media
Trust has already set up an Advisory Board within Wales, and provides
communication services to the charity sector here. Media Trust aims to
boost its representation in Wales in order to roll out more of its
services to Welsh charities and build effective communications in the
third sector.
Helen Beckett, Head of Communications at Media
Trust said “Young people are inspired and enthused by media and the
creative industries. They want to use it, work with it as well as
consume it. As someone who grew up in Cardiff and Barry I am very
optimistic about working with the vibrant and successful media industry
we have here in Wales.”
Find out more about Media Trust Cymru.
Winston's Wish to be shown at Glastonbury Festival
Amid
the music and revellry of this year's Glastonbury Festival which starts
on 20th June will be a powerful video short about a unique children's
bereavement charity.
Media Trust Productions video for Winston's Wish tracks the stories of two young guys, both of whom lost their fathers when they were eight.
It highlights how hard it is for any child to 'just get over' such a life-changing event, and how, with the support and services provided by Winston's Wish, bereaved children can grow to become happy and resilient adults.
If you want to see for yourself what festival goers will be watching take a look at Winston's Wish on the Community Channel now.
Winston's Wish is a charity which provides support to bereaved children and young people up to the age of 18 in practical and creative ways. To find out more about the charity visit Winston's Wish website.
June 2007
Summit About The Boy
A Charge Special, to be broadcast on Community Channel on 30th June 2007, 6pm and 10pm
Lee McConville, 22, is from Lozells, a deprived area in Birmingham notorious for gang violence, drug abuse and riots. In a radical change of environment, Lee was sent to Germany last week to report for The Times on the meeting of the world’s most powerful nations – the G8 summit. Lee was be mentored throughout Tony Blair’s last summit by acclaimed journalist Philip Webster, Political Editor, The Times. In stark contrast to Philip’s 30 years as a journalist, Lee has no experience of writing and is unsure of the relevance politics offers him or his peers.
A camera crew followed Lee’s journey and the documentary will be premiered on Charge, Community Channel’s youth platform on Saturday 30th June at 6pm and 10pm. The film will mark Charge’s official launch. Lee has already interviewed Tessa Jowell, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport as part of the project. He also posted a video blog from the G8 at www.chargetv.co.uk. Charge is funded by youth volunteering charity v and The Vodafone UK Foundation.
The documentary is part of Media Trust’s Youth Mentoring scheme, funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), directly targeting young people in England. Media Trust links organisations working with disadvantaged young people aged 14-25 and media professionals who act as mentors on media projects. Fairbridge and The Times have been brought together by Media Trust to feature in Summit About The Boy.
Robert Thomson, Editor, The Times, said: “Journalism is an exciting and exacting profession, and global events such as the G8 serve to highlight the essential skills of a journalist, who must ensure that accuracy and integrity are maintained while in a fast -moving environment, as well as making sure that the story is engaging for the reader. Lee could have no better mentor than Phil Webster, one of the UK’s most respected political journalists and we look forward to reading Lee’s work in The Times and at Times Online.”
Philip Webster, Political Editor, The Times said: “"Lee has been given a wonderful opportunity and has seized it with enthusiasm. I have never done anything like this but it has been a most exciting challenge to help him and to ensure that he maximizes the opportunity."
Tessa Jowell, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, initiated the Youth Mentoring scheme. She said:
"We set up Youth Mentoring to help young people develop their skills,
but also to inspire their hopes and dreams to change their lives in a
positive way. But mentoring is a two way street - a rewarding personal
experience benefiting both mentor and mentee with new skills and
perspectives that can be truly life enhancing.
"I was fortunate to be the first person to be interviewed by Lee, who impressed me immensely by his drive to find new skills and to grasp this challenging opportunity. I wish both Lee and Philip a rewarding experience in the international arena of the G8.
"And I look forward to seeing some of today's media mentees as the journalists, broadcasters and technicians of tomorrow."
Adam Perry, Community Channel Head of Programmes said, “The Charge G8 special is an excellent introduction to viewers of what Charge is all about. Ranging from socially engaging content to favourite bands, mobile-filmed content to short films, Charge will be the You Tube with a conscience.”
For further information about Youth Mentoring, visit www.mediatrust.org/youth-mentoring
June 2007
Youth Organisations Hit £943,919 Jackpot
Mediabox Round Two Funding Announced
Mediabox, the £6 million Department for Education and Skills fund for disadvantaged 13-19 year olds to make media projects has today, 4th June 2007, awarded youth organisations a cash boost of £943,919 in the second round of funding.
The panel selected 23 projects across England, which will directly benefit 1,819 young people.
The following organisations have secured funding for the production of youth led media projects:
Big Mediabox (up to £80,000)
- Tower Hamlets Summer University, London
- Independent Photography, London
- Resource Productions, Slough, Berkshire
- PhotoVoice, London
- Connexions Leicestershire, Leicester
- Point Blank, County Durham
- Broadway, Nottingham
- Beaumont Street Studios, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
- New Writing North, Newcastle
- Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool
- Superkrush Films, Newcastle
- BBA Media, Southall, Middlesex
Mid Mediabox (up to £20,000)
- 198 Gallery, London
- Focus First, Newcastle
- Fierce Productions, London
- OFVM Centre for Film and Digital Media, Oxford
- Blind Ditch, Totnes, Devon
- Ritzy Cinema, London
- WAC, London
- Darlington Media Group, Darlington, County Durham
- Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Youth Offending Team, Maidenhead
- St Chad’s College, County Durham
- Screen Actions, Cornwall
My Mediabox (up to £1,000)
- To date, 18 additional My Mediabox grants have been awarded directly to young people across England.
Young People’s Minister, Beverley Hughes, said:
“It’s exciting to see such a diverse range of projects ready to receive the second round of funding.
“This is a great opportunity for young people to get hands-on experience in one of our growing industries and develop valuable skills that will equip them for success in all parts of their lives. I’m frequently impressed by the energy, enthusiasm and skills displayed by young people, when they are given the resources and support they need. Mediabox will give these young people a chance to showcase their creativity and talents.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing the fruits of these media projects, and all of those funded by Mediabox, in the future.”
Leigh Thomas, Mediabox Executive Director, said:
“It’s fantastic that so many young people will be getting the opportunity through Mediabox funding to gain new skills in producing interesting and innovative media projects that will allow them to tell their own stories and to air their opinions. Over 3,000 young people so far will benefit from Mediabox funding and I can’t wait to see some of the work they produce and hear all about what it’s like being a young person today.
“The next application deadline for Big and Mid Mediabox grants is 17th July 2007. Young people aged 13-19 years old can apply for My Mediabox funding of up to £1,000 at any time and will receive an answer within two weeks.”
Interested organisations and young people should visit www.media-box.co.uk for guidelines and application forms.
June 2007
Leading national newspaper Editors team up to help charities get into the nationals
At Media Trust's 'National Newspapers' seminar, a coalition of Editors from The Sun, The Observer, Metro, and The Times will speak out about how charities can work better with the media to ensure more positive coverage in the press. 'National Newspapers - how to get your organisation coverage in national media' will be taking place on the 5th June at News International, Times House.
Recent surveys have shown that the charity sector is not making the most of its media potential. nfpSynergy's recent 'State of the Third Sector' ( May 2007) concluded that charities are failing to communicate their messages effectively; according to the survey nine out of ten charities feel that the public do not understand how modern charities work. Nearly half of the respondents also claimed that they felt their organisation worked with the media only averagely, carelessly or not at all.
Media Trust's National Newspapers seminar aims to combat this. It will bring together Editors from key national broadsheets, tabloids and free press with one aim: to help charities reach a wider audience through national coverage. Kamal Ahmed, Executive Editor, The Observer; Kenny Campbell, Editor, Metro; Jo Sheldon, Director of the Strategic Media Unit, Edelman Public Relations Worldwide; Rosemary Bennett, Social Affairs Editor, The Times; and Martin Phillips, Deputy Features Editor, The Sun, will all be speaking.
'Media Trust is committed to helping charities and not for profit organisations communicate more effectively and get their key messages out there. This seminar will provide charities with an invaluable opportunity to hear directly from the editors of key national newspapers about how they should be approaching the media. When else would you get access to this level of insight?' Caroline Diehl, Chief Executive, Media Trust.
nfpSynergy's 'State of the Third Sector' (May 2007) can be found at http://www.nfpsynergy.net/freereports/
April 2007
ITV Local to host Mediabox Projects
ITV Local, the broadcaster’s regional broadband TV service, is partnering with Mediabox to showcase short films, TV programmes, documentaries and vodcasts made by disadvantaged young people in England. Mediabox, which launched in December 2006, is a £6 million Department for Education and Skills fund for 13-19 year olds make their own media projects about issues that are important to them. Young people can apply for grants of up to £1000 and organisations working with young people can apply for funding of up to £80,000.
ITV Local London launched in March 2007 and now carries 39 dedicated TV channels of community-made videos from every London borough and the Home Counties alongside regional news, weather and local classified advertising. It’s the latest development in the rapid expansion of the service. ITV Local is also up and running in the Meridian and Central regions and there are plans to expand across the rest of England and Wales by the end of the year.
ITV Local’s Director of Programming Lindsay Charlton said, ‘We’re absolutely delighted to be partnering with Mediabox to host the projects that young people will be making over the coming months. It really is a perfect fit for us. ITV Local is a unique resource providing a platform for broadcast quality video content. This link-up will enhance the service we provide and give a really high profile platform to drive awareness for such community projects.”
Katie Simpson, Head of Youth Media at Media Trust, said: "The partnership with ITV Local is extremely exciting. Showcasing young people's work to a mainstream audience is a key part of the Mediabox strategy. Mediabox encourages young people to make a variety of media projects from film and radio to print and online. We are securing distribution partnerships with media companies across the board, ensuring young people's work is seen and their voices heard by as many people as possible. Mediabox has already given grants to 18 organisations working with young people throughout England and we look forward to seeing some of their projects on ITV Local."
For more information about Mediabox including guidelines and application forms, visit
www.media-box.co.uk.
April 2007
Media Trust launches advisory group in Wales
The UK’s leading media charity, Media Trust, is launching an
advisory committee in Wales to increase its support for the voluntary
and community sector.
Media Trust has a six year record of providing training and advice to the voluntary and community sector in Wales. The new advisory committee, to be made up of leading media industry representative and charities, will seek to expand the reach of Media Trust in Wales.
Media Trust is already established at the heart of the media community in the UK, with its Chairman Andy Duncan, Chief Executive of Channel 4 and Deputy Chairman Channel 4 News’ Jon Snow.
Media Trust Cymru is looking to boost its presence in Wales by setting up a free Media Matching online service in Wales, where media companies volunteer time to meet charities communications needs. It is envisaged that this service will launch later this year.
The first step in expanding the work of Media Trust Cymru will be a meeting for interested parties on 25th April.
Caroline Diehl, Chief Executive of Media Trust said,
“Expanding the reach and offer of Media Trust in Wales is a very
positive move for our organisation. The media and communications
industry is particularly strong and we are confident we will achieve
significant support. At Media Trust we continually look at ways to
increase our impact and broaden our offer and expanding our services
and expansion in Wales is a great opportunity for us.”
For more information please phone Leonie Edwards at Golley Slater on 02920 388621 or Helen Beckett, Head of Communications on 020 7874 7613 or email helenb@mediatrust.org.
April 2007
Mediabox Awards over £800,000 in First Round of Funding
Mediabox, the £6 million Department for Education and Skills fund for disadvantaged 13-19 year olds to make media projects has today, 5th April 2007, awarded organisations a cash injection of £835,822 in the first round of funding.
The panel judged a total of 65 entries from which a final 18 were chosen.
The following organisations have secured funding for the production of youth led media projects:
Organisation
Big Mediabox (up to £80,000)
- The Film and Video Workshop, London
- Shoreline Films, Cumbria, North West
- Connections Communications Centre, London
- Cornerhouse, Manchester, North West
- Let’s Go Global c/o Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council, Manchester, North West
- Somerset Film and Video Ltd, South West
- Middlesborough Council, North East
- Heads Together Productions, Huddersfield, Yorkshire
- Ipswich CSV Media Clubhouse, East of England
Mid Mediabox (up to £20,000)
- Open House, London
- The Point, Eastleigh, South East
- Warminster Community Radio, South West
- Mitalee Youth Association, Luton, East of England
- White Lantern Film, Bournemouth, South West
- Soap Box Films, Liverpool, North West
- Liverpool Community Spirit, North West
- Cape UK, Leeds, Yorkshire
- Create, Denham, East of England
Young People’s Minister, Beverley Hughes, said:
“It’s exciting to see such a diverse range of projects ready to receive the first round of funding.
“This is a great opportunity for young people to get hands-on experience in one of our growing industries and develop valuable skills that will equip them for success in all parts of their lives. I’m frequently impressed by the energy, enthusiasm and skills displayed by young people, when they are given the resources and support they need. Mediabox will give these young people a chance to showcase their creativity and talents.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing the fruits of these media projects, and all of those funded by Mediabox, in the future.”
Additionally, seven My Mediabox projects have been funded – with grants of up to £1000 going directly to young people either working in groups or individually on projects.
The next application deadline for Big and Mid Mediabox grants is 22nd May 2007.
Young people aged 13-19 years old can apply for My Mediabox funding of up to £1000 at any time and will receive an answer within two weeks.
Interested organisations and young people should visit www.media-box.co.uk for guidelines and application forms.
March 2007
Top Media Companies Sign Up To Media Trust’s Innovative Youth Mentoring Scheme
Media Trust has extended its services with the launch of a unique Youth Mentoring initiative, funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The Youth Mentoring initiative, launched on 28th February, is the first of its kind in England and will bring together media professionals and young people aged 14-25 at risk of anti-social behaviour to work together on specific projects.
Tessa Jowell, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Andy Duncan, Chairman of Media Trust and Chief Executive of Channel 4 and Robert Thomson, Editor of The Times launched the initiative at ITV. High profile media companies including BSkyB, ITV, BBC, Emap, Channel 4, Turner, Disney Channel UK, Warner Brothers, IPC Media, AOL and The Times have already joined up to the scheme, pledging to promote it among their staff and drive mentor sign-ups.
Organisations working with young people at risk are naturally placed to act as the gateway reaching this group and spreading the word about the Youth Mentoring opportunity. Barnardo’s, Foyer, The Prince’s Trust, YMCA England, Crime Concern, YCTV, Fairbridge, Dalston Youth Project, Live Magazine and UK Youth are among those already committed to the scheme.
The unique initiative will give young people access to a role model who will be able to offer a range of support including personal advice, encouragement, industry insights and guidance on specific projects. The vision of the initiative is to develop the skills and employability of young people and give them the chance to change their lives in a positive way.
Unlike many other mentoring schemes, Youth Mentoring will offer a “pick ‘n’ mix” range of programmes for mentors to choose from, including one to one and group mentoring with the option of a short or long term commitment. Youth Mentoring is open to anyone in the media industry, regardless of company, job title or department. All mentors will receive training before embarking on the programme.
Andy Duncan, Chairman of Media Trust said, “Media Trust’s Youth Mentoring is a fantastic way for the media industry to reach out to young people and ultimately help them to change the direction of their lives. I personally will be encouraging staff at Channel 4 to dedicate some time to this initiative, which will be enormously rewarding for both the mentor and the mentee.”
Robert Thomson, Editor, The Times said, "The Times is proud to be associated with Media Trust’s Youth Mentoring initiative. Those of us who are privileged to work in the media industry know that it is a creative, intelligent industry that has the ability to inspire and educate. We should seize this opportunity to work with young people to help them make informed decisions about their choice of career and to encourage people to find out more about what our industry has to offer."
The initiative, funded by the DCMS, is part of the Government’s Respect Action Plan, aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour and creating a modern culture of respect. Youth Mentoring will initially concentrate on 14 key areas in England.
Tessa Jowell, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport said, “This initiative will allow professionals across the whole media landscape to demonstrate how much this industry has to offer. But more than that, the mentors will be helping young people to find a new passion, something that will rekindle their sense of self confidence and self worth. And with the right support some of these young people will end up being the journalists, broadcasters and technicians of tomorrow.”
Youth Mentoring will sit alongside Media Trust’s existing services, including Media Matching, where media professionals are matched with charities to provide pro-bono or low-cost communications support. The launch of Youth Mentoring coincided with an event to thank Media Trust’s bank of media volunteers.
Media Trust is currently recruiting media organisations throughout
England, large and small, as well as organisations working with young
people, to sign up to Youth Mentoring. Interested media companies
should contact Victoria Brooks on 020 7874 7648 and youth organisations should contact Maddie Dinwoodie on 020 7874 7609.
For more information visit the Youth Mentoring section of the Media Trust website.
23 January 2007
Media Trust Launches "Communication for the next generation"
An Interactive Resource for Charities
Media Trust, the charity that brings the media industry and charities together, launched Communication for the next generation today, 23rd January. The interactive guide is aimed at charities and offers advice on how to communicate with, and market to, young people. It was launched to an audience of charities at Media Trust's "Successful Youth Marketing" seminar.
A diverse range of top media industry figures have written articles and features for the guide, offering their insight and perspectives, including Mark Frith, Editor of heat, Jamie Kantrowitz, Senior VP Marketing and Content at MySpace Europe, Kenny Campbell, Editor of Metro and Celia Taylor, Channel Controller, Trouble and Challenge. Available free to charities, this invaluable resource contains practical tips, straight-talking advice and also de-mystifies some of the digital and online jargon which is second nature to the increasingly savvy youth market. Download the Guide (5.8MB) here (right click your mouse to save the document to your computer).
Communication for the next generation has been sponsored by Virgin Mobile and funded by v; an independent charity championing youth volunteering in England.
Katie Simpson, Head of Youth Media at Media Trust said, "We contacted publications such as Nuts, heat, Bliss and online communities such as MySpace as they are perfectly placed to tell charities exactly what appeals to, and excites young people. We deliberately cast the net wide and embraced media that are not traditionally associated with charities. This guide will go a long way in showing charities how to grab the attention of young people and hopefully entertain them along the way. In turn, we hope this will lead to heightened awareness among young people and the charities gaining that all-important brand loyalty."
Contributor to the guide Pete Cashmore, Senior Writer at Nuts, sums up the typical Nuts reader: "We men are simple folks. We like girls, we like cars, we like games in which spherical objects are kicked at nets. If any or all of those features are worked into a story in some way, the chances are we are interested."
The guide was launched at Media Trust's "Successful Youth Marketing" seminar for charities today at Channel 4. High profile speakers included James Fabricant, Head of Marketing and Content MySpace UK and Mark Charkin, Head of Sales for UK and IE, Bebo.
Click here to find out more and download the guide.