Bridging the Gaps

Young people and children, Advising on money and debt

Bridging the Gaps is a youth-led media project that was supported with funding from the Big Lottery Fund. Nine young people took part and decided to produce a film about the upcoming housing and welfare benefit cuts and their possible impact to the community.

The project began in April 2011, and was developed to give young people the opportunity to learn practical film making skills (including story-boarding, research, pre and post production and filming skills), whilst addressing the growing confusion and anxiety that has emerged as a result of changes to welfare and housing benefits. Initial training, led by professional film-makers and youth workers, took place at BASE, in Pimlico – the Octavia Foundation’s recently established youth club space.

The film is made up of scripted interviews with tenants asking questions around some of the biggest changes. Stuart Freeman, a housing, debt, money management and welfare benefits Consultant, guided their research, and residents from Octavia Housing, as well as the young people themselves, acted in the film. 

You can view the film online below and the accompanying information booklet is available in the right hand column on this page.  Once you have viewed the film, please spare a few minutes to complete a short questionnaire which will provide us with feedback to support the development of future projects.  Click here to complete the survey.

Many of these changes are still being discussed and debated in Parliament under the Welfare Reform Bill and pilot tests are taking place across the country.  'Universal Credit' and many of the other proposed reforms are not expected to begin before 2013.

To order your own DVD free of charge, please get in touch via the contact information. The DVD also includes a short film on the new Kensington and Chelsea Credit Union, as well as ways that Octavia can help. 

If you are a tenant and have any questions about the welfare benefits changes, please contact your housing or income officer for further advice or for a referral to Westminster CAB debt advisors. Contact details for other local advice centres and services are included in the information booklet that accompanies the film.