Staffordshire based PR and Marketing specialists Medi8 Golf and renowned film maker Sandra Mesrine from Pinseeker Productions have combined with Armed Forces golf charity On Course Foundation (OCF) to produce a short film aimed at helping front line keyworkers through the Covid-19 Pandemic.
The film details On Course Foundation members’ experiences from the front line, shares strategies for coping with the stress it brings and expresses the thanks of OCF’s community of current and veteran Service Personnel for the commitment of front-line workers.
“The idea for the film came about in two places at once,” commented Mark Schorah, Head of Events and Employment at OCF. “I’d been thinking about the similarities between the experiences of our frontline keyworkers and what many of our members had experienced in war zones. The fear, uncertainty and struggle of heading into danger every day and the bravery and selflessness it takes to carry on doing your job regardless. Then David from Medi8 Golf called me and expressed the exact same thoughts, but with the idea to pull those experiences into a short film.”
The film, which uses #OnTheFrontLine on social media, features members of OCF expressing their experience of the front line and some of the coping strategies that helped them get through. With guidance from Medi8, OCF members produced individual videos which are available on the OCF You Tube channel for anyone to access. Medi8 and Pinseeker productions then edited the individual videos into a short film that conveys the key messages of the campaign.
“We’re always happy to volunteer our time for OCF. Their work helping wounded and injured Service personnel through golf is fantastic and their members are some of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met,” said David Wheatley, Managing Director at Medi8 Golf. “When I explained my thoughts to Mark at OCF, I already had in mind that Sandra at Pinseeker would be the perfect partner. We worked together on a Golf Foundation film last year that had a huge impact and I knew that her style of film making would bring all of these stories together beautifully.”
Sandra, Head of Pinseeker Productions confirmed, “When David contacted me about the project I was thrilled to be involved and immediately agreed to volunteer my time. I’m so proud that we’ve done the OCF members’ stories justice and can help our front line keyworkers though these extraordinary times.”
The film is currently live @OnCourseCharity on Twitter and Instagram and @On Course Foundation on Facebook. #OnTheFrontLine is being widely used, and the OCF members full stories can be viewed at www.youtube.com/oncoursefoundation Over the coming week, OCF members’ individual videos will be posted, encouraging serving and veteran military personnel to share their experiences so that the new front line might benefit from their insight and feel their solidarity.
David concludes, “This film was created for our new front line of keyworkers in the NHS, shop work, police, refuse collectors and food industry; anyone who is getting up and getting the job done while we follow advice to stay at home. We want them to know that they are appreciated and that despite the enormous pressures they face, there are a group of men and women who have been through it and come out the other side. If the OCF member’s stories can help any front-line keyworkers through their experience then it will have been well worth it.”
And the link to the main tweet is here https://twitter.com/OnCourseCharity/status/1255812014489972738
