Bus Stop Film Project
13 young jobseekers from Bristol have turned
their lives around after struggling at school and having little
self-confidence. With help from The Prince's Trust,
the group has produced a film which has made great steps
in raising awareness of the difficulties young people face growing
up in a deprived area.
All of the young people were unemployed
and seeking the confidence and motivation to change their lives
when they signed up to The Prince’s Trust Team programme, a 12-week
personal development course which gives unemployed young people the
skills and confidence to find work.
As part of the course, the group decided to carry out a project
that would have a positive impact on their community. The team
chose to produce a film about the preconceptions and realities of
life for young people in their area. They hoped to raise awareness
of the difficulties of growing up in a deprived area and the lack
of opportunities available to young people.
During the project, the group worked with Forest Lane film
productions to carry out all the filming tasks from script writing
to editing and they learnt essential skills in communication,
problem solving and team work. The members even took part in
community courses such as cooking and exercise classes to build up
their repertoire of skills.
Upon finishing the film, the group showed their work at The Rock
Community Centre in Lawrence Weston and the Showcase cinema,
attracting 100 attendees and showing the team that their efforts
were recognised by the community. The film was a great step towards
raising awareness of the difficulty of life as a youngster in a
deprived area. Avon and Somerset police and The Barrowmead
Project’s youth team have since used the film to promote further
awareness in the community.
The confidence that each team member gained from the programme
has enabled them to successfully seek out work and training
opportunities. Four of the young people have even become Young
Ambassadors for The Prince’s Trust, inspiring other young people to
turn their lives around in the same way that they have.
Leon Morrison, 24, now volunteers with The Prince’s Trust
one-to-one mentoring project, supporting young offenders on release
from prison.
Leon said:
The programme taught me how to work as a team.
When I was growing up I had difficulties knowing how to handle
challenges I faced. Now I now feel ready and excited for my future
and I’m so grateful to The Prince’s Trust that I’m now able to
support other young people in changing their lives for the
better.
Champions
We would like to acknowledge the individuals or organisations
who have played a key role in helping these young people achieve
success through their Prince’s Trust programme.
- Daniel Lane, Forest Lane Film
Productions
- Sue Hale, The Rock Community
Centre