Life can be wonderful but laced with tragedy… and all points in between...

The Background:

The Only Hope project has, at its heart, themes and ideas that touch on these emotional extremes: the highs and lows, the darkness and light of our world, the best side of human nature and the worst.

Only Hope has brought together a group of people, all volunteers initially inspired by the family of a terminally ill child, and then later the family of Sarah, to create a film where ‘real’ cancer patients, including a child, play their own characters. The main aim being to raise funds to raise awareness for an incredible new cancer treatment that currently is only being used for scientific studies.

Cancers of various types, post traumatic stress disorder, vulnerable people being groomed, profiteering from drugs and suicide, are all alluded to, directly or indirectly, through the course of the film.  

Very serious subjects indeed.  

Yet it is certainly not all doom and gloom!  

The film will be darkly comic, with some tongue in cheek references to great British film genres and heroic figures.  All the volunteers are coming together in a spirit of optimism, wanting to do something meaningful for others, with “only hope” in their hearts.

What we are doing to support those involved:

Quite early on in the development of this project, the organizers recognized that mental health and wellbeing would play a significant role; something that is part of everyone’s daily experience, whether they know it or not; an aspect of life that no one can ignore any longer and that any responsible group or organization should acknowledge and take on board.  Then the covid-19 pandemic came along, surprising the whole world in its scope and far reaching consequences.  Suddenly, everyone’s mental health and wellbeing seemed even more pertinent.

In order to support the cast, crew and production team, a Due Diligence group was appointed to oversee the production.  Jo Bulis, who works for West Sussex Mind is a key member of this team, and adds; 

“As part of that group, I have been asked to focus on mental health and wellbeing support for all those involved. 

For my “day job” I work for West Sussex Mind, a recognized local mental health charity (affiliated to National Mind) that supports people who are affected by mental health issues, such as, depression, anxiety, post-natal depression, low mood through loneliness, schizophrenia, PTSD, personality disorders etc.

I am available for the Only Hope cast and crew to chat informally, and confidentially, about any aspect of the project, their work or personal life.  I can then direct them towards appropriate support.”

Below are some of the organizations that can help support anyone affected by the issues we raise in Only Hope:

https://www.westsussexmind.org/

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/

www.pathfinderwestsussex.org.uk/

https://www.studentminds.org.uk/

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/podcasts-and-videos/listing

http://www.sane.org.uk/

Sussex Mental Healthline: for telephone support and information 0300 5000 101

Samaritans: 116 123

Refuge – National Domestic Abuse Helpline tel:0808 2000 247 

Crimestoppers:  0800 555 111