Film making award for hospice resident

A woman being cared for by local hospice St Barnabas House has been presented with a prestigious award.
Eileen Godfrey is presented with the Chris Hodson Trophy by Howard JohnsonEileen Godfrey is presented with the Chris Hodson Trophy by Howard Johnson
Eileen Godfrey is presented with the Chris Hodson Trophy by Howard Johnson

Eileen Godfrey received the award for a film she produced about the 1,250th anniversary of Ferring village in 2015.

She has been a resident of Ferring since moving to the village from Godalming ten years ago, and is currently being cared for at the hospice which provides palliative care for adults with advanced progressive life-limiting conditions.

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Howard Johnson, competition secretary at the South Downs Film Makers Club, paid a special visit to the St Barnabas House In-patient Unit on Friday, February 17, to present Eileen with the Chris Hodson Trophy.

The South Downs Film Makers is a club for amateur film producers who regularly hold meetings in Ferring Village Hall. Eileen and her husband Richard are both members of the club.

Inaugurated in 2016 in memory of one of the club’s leading past members, the Chris Hodson Trophy is now awarded annually for the Best Documentary.

Bob Summers, chairman of South Downs Film Makers, said: “Ferring’s 1250th Anniversary was a major film project in which Eileen took the role of Executive Producer.

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“The finished production, lasting 100 minutes in total, featured a year in the life of St Andrew’s Church and some 30 different groups in the village. As such, it represents an important record of Ferring life in 2015.

“Eileen’s role as Executive Producer involved promoting the project and providing contact with St Andrew’s PCC and the numerous local groups who took part in making the film.

“She organised film crews throughout a year of shooting and, with her determined spirit and a ready smile, ensured the successful completion of the film.

“In view of the important role Eileen played in this production, it seemed fitting that she should receive this prestigious award, which was presented to her by Howard Johnson at St Barnabas House on Friday 17 February.”

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In August 2015, Ferring celebrated the 1,250th anniversary of the Christian community being established when a charter was granted for St Andrew’s church to be built in 765.

Since then Eileen’s film, which features a combination of new and archive footage, has sold 150 copies.

Eileen was honoured to receive the award, and is delighted that the film has proven to be such a success.

She said: “I’m very pleased to win the award. It was a lot of effort. We were filming over 12 months and I had to organise the different shoots that we had going on and manage our members into film crews.

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“The film recalls as much of the history of Ferring as possible and also the various activities in the village that take place now, like football teams, WI Meetings, and dancing classes and so on.”

The film records the celebrations connected with the church, including a visit from the Bishop of Chichester, as well as the typical activities in the village throughout the year.

There is currently a waiting list for the film with the previous batch having sold out. To purchase a copy, call Symonds & Reading estate agents on 01903 502121 to add a name to the waiting list.

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