Telling the Story of Halifax Opportunities Trust

Halifax Opportunities Trust work to "make vibrant multi-cultural and self-sustaining communities across Calderdale since 2000. We are a registered charity and our work with communities takes many different forms across a wide variety of projects but it’s all driven by the same core values: we care, we are enterprising, we collaborate and we are committed.
We structure our work into 6 key areas that we know are important to making thriving communities and these are: Employment, Learning, Wellbeing, Enterprise, Inclusive Integration and Children & Families." For a few years Bokehgo has been working with a network of charities who are all delivering incredible services through an initiative called Hopeful Families.
Hopeful Families is a flexible community programme designed to help participants overcome whatever challenges they face. Run by Pluss and community partners such as HOT, we can help families manage the tough times and build a brighter future. Help with everyday life.

The more we discovered around the Hopeful Families initiative, from the participants who would benefit, to the incredible organisations behind delivering it, we were hugely inspired and immediately felt the responsibility our role had to play in telling these stories with integrity for others to truly appreciate.An important principle that we uphold at Studio Bokehgo is that the person's needs who is on the other side of the camera always comes first. We will not press record until we feel that the person who is being recorded is entirely comfortable, consenting with full understanding, and presenting themselves as they wish to be presented. We do not come to any shoot with any alterior motives and secret agendas and we actively work to build a rapore with whomever we are filming. We edit films with content of truth and integrity, and that is what makes their standing so important. Across our years of work, we have worked with an ecclectic range of vulnerable adults and young people, as well as some very difficult subject matters. With any project we take on, we ensure that our client works closely with us so we can work with respect and safety, physically and emotinally, with those partaking in the filming.Halifax Opportunities Trust were a pleasure to work with due to their comprehensive and meticulous attention to respecting all whom were filmed, as well commissioning films that suported their participants, whilst still creating valuable documents for them to use as a charity.
Our direct relationship started with a project in 2018.
Hopeful Families with Primal Fitness – Steps to Fitness Project

The concept was developed from active ideas that HOT had work on for years - that employment is not just abouting getting people to apply for jobs - but it is about building a lifestyle that can mean a person can work and be happy. In a world that demands results, it can be understandable that some organisations with such a strain on resources have no choice but to push for people to work directly into work to achieve 'a result'. An alternative to this is not easy and takes determination, to which HOT are not shy. It took a lot of work and persistence to create this project. So when we were approached to document this bold and exciting initiative, I can only say that we were absolutely honoured.

As part of our holistic approach to help, we recognise the link between mental & physical health. With this in mind, our Steps 2 Fitness project was developed for our job seekers. Take a look at their journey here.This film is a moving portrait of the power of physical activity to support and promote positive wellbeing and mental health.Halifax Opportunities Trust are proud to be delivery partners on the Hopeful Families programme funded by #BigLotteryESF and working alongside Primal Fitness.
A moving portrait of the power of physical activity to support and promote positive wellbeing and mental health.

For any charity, their skills are in delivering the work they do, and not neccessarily with the ability to share that story in a wider way. To celebrate this ambitious and pivotal project, we wanted to give HOT their own piece of cinema and create a narrateve story of the journey of the participants to the course. Language barriers, and mixed levels of confidence always needs to be aware of in filming such as this, so we felt with plenty of contact time with participants we could both ensure trust and confidencee between us all, and represent each participant for their menuine self, as well as follow their progression throughout. The methodology was a great success with the film creating a moving portrait that all the participants are proud of, but also creating a friendship between all of us too.

After the incredible success of this film, we were invited back by HOT to shine a spotlight on their wider work as an organisation delivering Hopeful Families programmes. We worked with them on an ongoing day a week retainer, with Daisy Robson Wright, one of our core filmmakers, working closely with HOT to develop a whole series of films for all of their needs. This model of a retainer allowed for Daisy to build ongoing relationships with so many participants and ensure optimum comfort for all who appeared on camera.

With every interaction we make during any film work, we want to ensure everyone feels valued. After all, they are our stars of each film, and we value every moment they give, and treat the editing and representation of their story and words with the highest regard.

Together with HOT we were able to shine a valuable spotlight on their organisation and delivery of the Hopeful Families project with the aspirations that these films can benefit the organisation, and therefore its staff and participants, for a long time to come.