3Monday, March 18, 2019 www.wigantoday.net WIGAN POST

Clockwise from top: HMP Hindley; a scene from new LGBTQ+ short film Spectrum; members of Leigh Film Society; film makers co-made by Wiganer AbigailHenry

regular basis putting on a pro-gramme of cinema to engagethose serving sentences withthe artform and the opportu-nities in it.

Leigh Film Society chairPaul Costello said: “When theHMPrisonService(Novus)ap-proached us to screen a filmin Hindley Prison to offend-ers promoting an interest inthe many genres of film and toencourage the start of a filmclub we saw it as a unique op-portunity.

“Engaging with young andadultoffenders,Novuswantedto launch the film club with achallenging film promotinginclusivity and British values.

“Leigh Film Society hadrecently financially support-ed the making of a LGBT filmcalledSpectrummadebylocalfilm-makerAbigailHenrysoitwas an easy decision to selectthis one.

“It is important that every-one insociety has accessto artand culture, that is why LeighFilm Society is always look-ing at ways to engage hard-to-reach groups in film.

“We believe that filmscreenings promote manybenefitsfromhealthandwell-

Volunteer film enthusiasts areteaming up with the prison inthe borough to screen an inno-vative movie produced locallybehind bars.Leigh Film Society is puttingtogether the pioneeringproject to screen LGBTQ+ an-thologyfilmSpectrumatHMPHindley.

The award-winning groupof cinema buffs was ap-proached by the prison serv-ice to help launch a new filmclub for the offenders with achallenging,boundary-break-ing work.

The film society has there-fore chosen the selection ofshort stories exploring thelives of lesbian, gay, bisexualandtransgenderpeoplemeet-ing in the course of one nighton Manchester’s iconic Ca-nal Street, which has Wiganwriter, director and produc-er Abigail Henry as one halfof the creative team behind it.

Leigh Film Society willthen visit HMP Hindley on a

Local film will beshown behind bars

being to learning. We haveused our regular film screen-ings to fight against socialisolation and create opportu-nities for young people.

“It is an exciting projectand hopefully Hindley PrisonFilm Club will become a greatsuccess and in the future maybecomeinvolvedintheWiganandLeighShortFilmFestival.”

The society hopes intro-ducing prisoners to the op-portunities available in themulti-billion-pound cine-ma industry will potentiallygive them more employmentchances after being released

By Andrew Nowellandrew.nowell@jpimedia.co.uk@ANowellWIG

and increase the likelihood oftheir rehabilitation.

Novus has also expressedthe hope that the offendersmay be inspired enough bythe screenings to work ontheir own creative projectsalongside learning about top-ics such as inclusivity and tol-erance.

The screenings will be fol-lowed by discussions of theissues raised. The makers ofSpectrum are expected to at-tend the first event.

Spectrum will be screenedin HMP Hindley to launch theprison’s film club on April 9.

HMP Hindley head of learningand skills Lucy Clayson said: “Thework being completed by LeighFilm Society is an exciting oppor-tunity for HMP Hindley to raiseawareness of LGBTQI issues.“Unfortunately a large number ofissues faced by the LGBTQI com-munity stem from ignorance, andLeigh Film Society continues ttochallenge and overcome such at-

titudes and promote equality anddiversity.“This work supports the sharedvision of our establishment andeducational services in promot-ing inclusivity, acceptance andtolerance. This is an innovativeway to foster a culture of accept-ance and positive relationshipsand contribute to the wider visionof reducing reoffending.”

Prison service: film can dismantlebarriers and promote values

Donna Hall CBE, the formerChief Executive of WiganCouncil,hasbeenappointedas the new Chair of the Bol-ton NHS Foundation Trust.She will succeed the Trust’scurrent Chairman, DavidWakefield, who is due tocomplete his term of officeat the end of March 2019.TheTrust‘sCouncilofGover-nors which includes electedrepresentativesofthepublicand staff, made the appoint-ment at its meeting on lastweekfollowingarecommen-dation by an AppointmentPanel which included fourelected governors.Ms Hall, pictured, who re-tired from her role as ChiefExecutive of Wigan Counciland Accountable Officer ofWiganClinicalCommission-ing Group last month, willtake up the position fromApril 1.Chief Executive Jackie BeneOBE said: “We’re delightedto welcome Donna to theTrust at what is a very ex-citing time. We are forgingstrong relationships withpartnersinhealthandsocial

New role forformer CEO

caretoimprovethehealthofour local population and en-surebestvaluefortheBoltonPound – the money that wehavecollectively tospendonservices.Donna’sexperiencewillbeanassettotheorgani-sation.”Ms Hall lives in Bolton andsheandherfamilyhaveusedthe services provided by theTrust for several genera-tions.She said: “I am very excitedto be joining Bolton NHSFoundation Trust at what isan important time for boththe Trust and for Bolton. Iam a proud born and bredBoltonian who grew up inBreightmet “I love the placeand I love the people.”

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