A FILM that features four local people whose lives are being changed by a coordinated programme of help and support will have its first public showing in Leicester tomorrow (Friday 10 July).
The 30-minute film by Dear Albert focuses on the stories of Nina, Laura, Elise and Mark – individuals who have all experienced multiple disadvantage in their lives, such as homelessness, poor mental health, drug and/or alcohol dependency, contact with the criminal justice system, and domestic abuse.
The film shows how Leicester City Council and its partners are helping all four to stabilise their lives through the Changing Futures programme – a national initiative that’s been running in Leicester for the past four years.
Delivered by a multi-agency partnership that includes lived experience workers, the programme is transforming support for vulnerable adults, where traditional approaches have often failed.
The new film, which takes viewers into the heart of Changing Futures in Leicester, is part of the evaluation of the first phase of the programme, providing perspective from the beneficiaries of the programme as well as from those delivering it.
Jon Roberts, director of Dear Albert, said: "We made the film to share what people go through and the help that is available.
“It's important to know that the city residents suffering the most disadvantages are not forgotten.
"This film - Through the LERO Lens - shows that when city services work together with those possessing lived experiences of the challenges we're striving to resolve, it really is possible to start changing people's futures."
Deputy city mayor Cllr Elly Cutkelvin said: “Individuals navigating multiple disadvantage, from homelessness and substance reliance to mental health struggles, are often failed by fragmented systems.
“This short film shows how a coordinated approach, that ensures that people get the right support at the right time, really can change lives.”
Earlier this year, Leicester received more than £3m from the government to fund the next phase of the Changing Futures programme. The second phase of the programme will run until 2028-29.
The new funding will continue to pay for a local multi-agency team that provides intensive and specialist support to the people in most need.
Cllr Cutkelvin added: “Over the next three years, this funding will enable us to strengthen integration and collaboration across all sectors – and deliver sustainable, long-term improvements for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents.”
Dear Albert’s Through the LERO Lens will be shown at the The Stairway Project at 68 Humberstone Gate at 2pm tomorrow (Friday 10 July). Tickets are free of charge but must be reserved in advance at eventbrite.co.uk
Dear Albert is a Lived Experience Recovery Organisation (LERO).