Buckinghamshire Mind’s ‘Transforming Lives’ film has been nominated for a Smiley Charity Film Award 2025. We’re calling on everyone to vote for our film to help us be in with a chance of winning.
Our film focuses on how the mental health support provided by Buckinghamshire Mind’s Befriending service can transform lives. Bob talks movingly about the devasting effect the premature death of his wife had on his mental health and how lonely he felt. Nothing seemed to help him until he met Mike, his Befriender, whose support started Bob on his journey of recovery.
“He doesn’t actually realise how much he helped me, because I couldn’t see any way out,” says Bob of Mike. “Out of all the counselling that I had, this was the one thing that really helped me cope with life and start seeing a brighter future.”
The film shows the joyful moment when Bob, who is now himself a Befriender for Buckinghamshire Mind, is reunited with Mike for the first time since their Befriending partnership concluded. A very inspiring depiction of how giving someone time to open up and share helps them through life’s unexpected twists and turns.
Voting is open now until 29th January 2025. The finalist are decided by the public vote, with the shortlist announced on 4th February 2024. The winners for each category are then decided by a panel of expert judges.
Please vote for our film here
The Awards are the largest cause-based film campaign. Since its inception seven years ago, the Charity Film Awards (CFAs) has emerged as a cornerstone of positive change in the UK, supporting over 5,000 charities and captivating the engagement of almost 1 million individuals through voting.