The GTC supports...

The GTC's Welfare Officer is Chris Yacoubian: Welfare@gtc.org.uk

The GTC is pleased to work with and support the following industry charities.

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Film & Television Charity

The Film & Television Charity provides advice, support and financial assistance to people who work or have worked in the Film and TV industry in the UK. It offers support to individuals and families working in the industry or who have previously worked in Film, TV and cinema exhibition, when facing personal and career challenges. These challenges may include:

• Health issues
• Injury and mobility problems
• Unemployment
• Redundancy and career issues
• Personal and mental health issues
• Retirement and care in later life
• Debt and financial issues

For the full range of situations for which they provide support, visit Your Situation.

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Backup

Backup, the Technical Entertainment Charity, provides financial support to industry technical professionals working in live events, theatre, TV and film.

Backup offers support to industry workers, or their family members, who have suffered an accident or serious illness to help get them back on their feet.

Grants are tailored to an individual’s needs and can include essential living costs, medical related expenses, advice, retraining and travel.

Backup works with potential recipients to fully understand the support needed and ensure that help is targeted effectively.

See more about Backup: www.backuptech.uk

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Dreamflight

Dreamflight is a wonderful charity where camera professionals can take a really active part.

Once a year, 192 deserving children from all over the UK, accompanied by a team of medical carers, board a chartered plane and head to Florida for 10  days of fun and excitement. Many children could not undertake such a trip without the support of the army of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and non-medical volunteers who care for the children 24 hours a day. Each year, camera crew members support the activity by shooting a souvenir video for the children. They go out on the flight, and also work as supporters.

Dreamflight is not just a holiday. The children leave their families behind, giving them an opportunity to discover independence, confidence and a whole new outlook on life. Often for the first time, these children realise that they are not alone, and they are not the odd ones out. They see children around them who have also suffered, they gain perspective, and experience things they never thought possible.

Dreamflight, which has run every year since 1987, believes that fun and joy are just as important as medical research and equipment – it can do something medicine can't.

"Dreamflight has taught me a lot of things. One is to never let your illness put you down, always look on the bright side of life, and remember there is always someone out there who is worse off than you. I am now more confident in myself. Dreamflight wasn't the place we went, it was the atmosphere and the happiness. I will never forget any of you."
A Dreamflight Child

Several GTC members (including past Chair Graeme McAlpine) have helped out in the past, and John Tye collected a GTC Award for the camera team in 2010.

Read what Jon Boast has to say, who's been helping since 2001, published in InFocus, December 2023.
Click here to read "Dreamflight: A film-maker's delight" published in Zerb, Spring 2010. Find out more about supporting Dreamflight by emailing them at: office@dreamflight.org or see more about the charity at: www.dreamflight.org

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The Rory Peck Trust

• Gives charitable grants to freelance newsgatherers in need, and to the families of those who have been killed, injured or persecuted as a result of their work

• Provides training bursaries to enable freelancers, who otherwise could not afford it, to undertake hostile environment training

• Promotes good practice on behalf of freelancers working in the newsgathering industry and their right to work safely and in freedom

• Provides information and advice on insurance, training, trauma counselling, safety and other issues to freelancers around the world

• Raises the profile of freelance camerapeople in broadcast news and current affairs at the annual Rory Peck Awards

... So GTC members are in a win–win situation. The bursaries for freelance news gatherers are really very generous, allowing working cameramen to receive training which would normally be impossible unless you are working full-time for a broadcaster.They can also help cameramen and their families, should the worst happen.

Click here to read about the work of Rory Peck Trust as published in Zerb, Spring 2011.

See more about the work of The Rory Peck Trust at: www.rorypecktrust.org

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