Member Article

Charity film to get world premiere in Yorkshire

People living in North Yorkshire are being invited to see the world premiere of a new short film that raises awareness of the work of a local charity which provides home-based hospice care to those with life limiting illnesses.

The five-minute film, produced by Herriot Hospice Homecare, will get its first screening at the historic Ritz cinema in Thirsk on Sunday 22nd February.

The hospice is offering free tickets to people interested in seeing the film, which will be followed by a special screening of Testament of Youth’, the new British film based on the powerful WW1 memoir by Vera Brittain, parts of which were also filmed in Yorkshire.

With a soundtrack from up and coming Scottish artist Rachel Sermanni, the Herriot film features the story of a North Yorkshire farmer and racehorse trainer, David Barker, who was cared for by the charity before his death from cancer early last year.

The film also features spectacular aerial footage of some of the area’s most notable beauty spots, including Swaledale, Grinton Moor, Scugdale and Roseberry Topping.

Speaking in advance of the screening, Herriot’s chief executive, Karen Wilkinson-Bell, said: “As a ‘hospice without walls’ we take care into peoples; homes across 1,000 square miles of North Yorkshire.

“One of our biggest challenges is to show people what we actually do so we are hoping this film will tell people about our important work and encourage more of them to get involved, perhaps by making a donation or volunteering with us. We’re also keen to raise awareness amongst families who might need our help”.

One of the people who appear in the film is 83-year-old Joyce Clifford, from Stokesley, who works as a volunteer in Stokesley shop.

She says: “Volunteering with Herriot has allowed me to put something back into my local community and I am really pleased to have been involved.”

John Potter, Chairman of the volunteer-run Ritz Cinema, said: “We are delighted and privileged to be able to give Herriot’s new film the big screen treatment, and we look forward to welcoming existing and new customers to the cinema.”

Anyone interested in free tickets for the screening on the afternoon of Sunday 22nd February should contact Christine Robinson at Herriot Hospice on 01609 777413 or via email on christine.robinson@herriothh.org.uk

*Testament of Youth tells the story of a young English woman named Vera Brittain, who postpones her studies at Oxford University to serve as a Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse in World War One. The film stars Alicia Vikander in the role of Vera and Games of Thrones actor Kit Harington, who plays her fiancé.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Neil Shaefer .