Young people host VIP HMS Heroes film premiere

Young people from HMS Heroes Youth Ambassadors will be hosting a VIP event at the Royal Citadel, by kind permission of Lt. Col Edward Dawes of 29 Commando, Royal Artillery, on the 25 June, to premiere their campaign film 'At Your Service'.

The film aims to show teachers and other educational professionals what it is like to be part of a military family. The premiere will be attended by the Lord Mayor, Commanding officers from our military establishments, educational professionals and the young film makers.

The HMS Heroes Youth Ambassadors are the campaigning group from this highly successful children and young people's voice group, working on behalf of the families of Service and Veteran's children, not only in Plymouth but on behalf of the 4,000 strong national membership.

The film is the culmination of work to explore the challenges faced by Service children during times of their parent's deployment and it illustrates how challenging life can be. It will be used across the nation, from Helston in Cornwall to North Yorkshire and Scotland.

The Ambassadors have constructed the story, based on their discussions with a wide age range of young Heroes, alongside their own experiences. The film was cast and directed by the young people and has been funded through the Fixers organisation and HMS Heroes National Volunteers, and supported by Plymouth City Council. It can be viewed on the Ambassadors page of HMS Heroes website.

Heather Ogburn, HMS Heroes National Volunteers Chairperson and Senior Leadership Advisor for Plymouth City Council, said: "This film is an insight into just part of the world that Service children experience. The Ambassadors have worked tirelessly to ensure they have conveyed an accurate message for their fellow Heroes. Their support for each other is clear in all they do. I feel very privileged to work with such a remarkable group of young people."

This work links into Plymouth's Armed Forces Community Covenant, the city's formal commitment to the mutual support between the civilian and armed forces communities, with a special focus on service children.

At the heart of the covenant is a shared understanding that service families receive all the support available to them from the public and voluntary sectors in the city. It aims to enhance the HMS Heroes support network and improve access to housing, healthcare and employment for service families and veterans.

Councillor Pauline Murphy, Chair of the Plymouth Armed Forces Community Covenant Steering Group, said: "We are incredibly proud of the work being done through HMS Heroes and our Community Covenant. Plymouth is very much leading the way in our support of Service families, and in particular, Service children.

"This film is an excellent training resource for schools and other professionals coming into contact with Forces families.

"We hope it will be used nationally to create a better understanding of what life is like for Service children, which will ultimately help them get better support so they can achieve their full potential."