A new film designed to help tenants manage their money and bite back at loan sharks has been hailed as an “absolute triumph”.
The hard-hitting DVD was premiered at a special screening for a VIP audience at the Scala Cinema in Prestatyn.
My Home – Making Every Penny Count was funded by the six housing associations in North and Mid Wales.
The partnership included Cartrefi Conwy, Clwyd Alyn Housing Association, Cymdeithas Tai Clwyd, Cymdeithas Tai Eryri, North Wales Housing, the Wales and West Housing Association and the Wales Co-operative Centre’s Financial Inclusion Champion.
The handy money saving tips and budgeting advice in the DVD have also been included in a booklet which is given out to every new tenant.
The film was produced by TAPE Community, Music and Film Ltd of Old Colwyn who specialise in working with all kinds of community groups,
The film contrasts the fortunes of two families – one of them gets it right and stays in the black by following the guidelines in the booklet.
The other family gets into all kinds of difficulty when they ignore the advice and fall prey to a loan shark until being rescued by their housing association.
The leading roles are played by housing association tenants who also scripted and edited the DVD.
Pam Lonie, Chair of the Board at Cartrefi Conwy, was extremely impressed with the high production values and the brilliant performances of the cast.
She said: “The DVD is really excellent and all the better because it was not made by professional film makers. It is a very real story.
“It is an absolute triumph and it would be useful for many people, not just housing association tenants, to see the film and read the booklet.
“Everybody involved in the project deserves our congratulations. This is going to help a lot of people steer clear of some dangerous financial pitfalls.”
Among the stars is 80-year-old Leo Farrell, from Kinmel Bay, who plays the grandfather in the family which follows the guidelines in the booklet and stays out of debt.
The retired manager of the White Rose shopping centre in Rhyl said: “I thought it was impressive to see it on the big screen, I think it worked really well.
“The good thing was that it had a balance of comedy and pathos and it was a very effective way of getting the message across.
“The comparison of the two families – the one that went by the book and other one that threw the book away – was a good way of doing it.
“The film puts across an important message that you can get into so much trouble, no matter which part of society you’re from, and the consequences.
“Hopefully, through this DVD, people can be shown the right route to take.”
Fellow cast member Andy Roffey, from Colwyn Bay, is a tenant of the Clwyd Alyn Housing Association and also works at TAPE.
He said: “I played the father of the sensible family who decide to go about things the right way.
“It was very hard-hitting towards the end of making the film because we had to get into the emotions and the heads of playing the characters we were playing.
“It was quite upsetting the way the other family were being subjected to these terrors – I know they were not real but it was portraying a real scenario. It is something that does happen.
“We are grateful to Cartrefi Conwy for bringing this project to life so everyone can see what can be done about loan sharks.
“It’s a very serious problem, not just in Wales but across Britain. It’s so important for a DVD like this to be made to go along with an information pack for new tenants so they don’t make mistakes in future.
Owen Veldhuizen, Cartrefi Conwy’s Senior Tenant Engagement Officer, was delighted that the film had turned out so well.
He said: “It is a really powerful tool, it looks really good and has nice elements of humour which will keep people watching.
“The people involved with making the DVD are absolutely buzzing and there was an excellent reaction from the people in the audience.”
Among those was Ann Jones, the Vale of Clwyd AM, who added: “It is a remarkable film and it gives tenants the message that the housing association will be there to help them.
“I think things are going to get more difficult as we see more and more cuts coming through.”
Equally impressed was Rhian Hughes, the Regional Financial Inclusion Champion, said: “I thought the film was fantastic, very emotional and very real.
“I think the key message we wanted as a partnership was to bring the tenants in to work on this project.
“Prevention is better than cure and my role is to embed financial inclusion strategically so we work with local authorities and housing associations.”
