Cardinal Hume Centre to issue anniversary videos

To coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Cardinal Hume Centre and the launch of its new website, 25 short films will be released throughout this year to highlight the many people who have been touched by the centre and its work.

From homeless young people some with drug and alcohol dependency who have found support at the centre, to the staff, volunteers and patrons who ensure the Centre's high quality services continue, the films demonstrate how the ethos of welcome, upon which Cardinal Basil Hume founded the centre, remains relevant as ever today.

Chief Executive, Cathy Corcoran, said: “It's 25 years since Cardinal Basil Hume established the Centre to help homeless young people who were sleeping on the streets of London and families living in dire bed and breakfast accommodation. As we celebrate a quarter of a century of serving the community, we feel it is important to pay testament to the incredible impact the Centre has had and the legacy of Cardinal Hume. What better way to do that than to hear directly from those who have been involved in it over the years.

The Centre has evolved not just help homeless young people but to support hundreds of disadvantaged people in the Westminster area. We are sure Father Basil would be proud of the work that has been done and continues to be done in his name.”

With the growth of the internet and social media, organizations such as the Cardinal Hume Centre have to look increasingly for innovative methods of communication to reach new audiences and supporters.

The director of Potential Productions, who produced the videos, Ben Rogers, said “When we were asked to look at this project we realised immediately what a unique and exciting media prospect it represented. We wanted to offer the Centre the best value in gathering the footage needed to produce 25 unique and engaging short films to mark this historic moment in the Centre's life. This was an exciting project for us and we have really enjoyed hearing the fascinating stories of the wide range of people that have been affected by the Centre and its work.”

More than 1,000 people have stayed in the Centre's hostel over the past 25 years, providing many with a foundation from which to rebuild their lives. Thousands more have been helped with a range of services from housing, employment and immigration advice to language training and child care support.

The website has been strategically planned, designed and developed by Aura Creative Communications to give the Centre a 'futureproof' digital platform from which to foster greater understanding of its services and more opportunity to engage with new supporters in the future.

See: www.cardinalhumecentre.org.uk