1. Emmanuelle Purdon successfully applied for a grant from Vodafone UK – Vodafone’s World
of Difference funding stream which offered grants for films which brought about social
change – and used this funding to make two landmark films on behalf of St Giles Trust.
St Giles Trust is a UK charity helping ex-offenders and serving prisoners to rehabilitate and
lead positive crime-free lives. Our aim is to break the cycle of offending and we place
reformed ex-offenders at the centre of the solution by enabling them to provide support for
others in the criminal justice system looking to change their lives.
Ex-offenders face many barriers when they try to move their lives forward and resettle. We
asked Emmanuelle to make two films which we hoped would help us break down barriers
which dramatically affect our ability to carry out our work. One was the barrier people with
a criminal record face in getting a job - a stable job can reduce the likelihood of re-
offending by a third. The other issue we asked Emmanuelle to highlight was to promote
partnership working with the professional ex-offenders who provide our services – they often
encounter suspicion and barriers which can hamper their ability to carry out their work.
The issues we work with are complex, sensitive, high profile and politically sensitive. Both
films needed to be hard hitting and compelling yet give a wholly positive message on the
benefits of engaging with ex-offenders.
Emmanuelle gave 110% towards this work through carefully researching the issues, gaining
the co-operation and trust of interviewees and developing a narrative for each film. She
worked well with high profile interviewees including Sir Richard Branson, former UK Supreme
Court Judge Lord Phillips Worth of Matravers and Met Police (Scotland Yard) Commissioner
Sir Bernard Hogan Howe. She is highly skilled in all the technical elements of filmmaking
and interviewing participants. Her innate creativity means she has brought to life the issues
we work with in an emotional way and given the messages we wished to get across a
sense of importance and urgency.
The end result is we have two extremely helpful films - Working With Conviction - which will
be invaluable in helping us win over hearts and minds to the issues facing some of the most
excluded people in society – disadvantaged ex-offenders.
On a personal level, I would like to say I find her a pleasure to work with. She is a good
listener, can remain calm under pressure and can basically just be relied to deliver on a
project.
Tamsin Gregory
Communications Manager at St Giles Trust
Registered Charity: 801355 - Company number: 2175146