Our Latest Film – The Best Things in Life are Free

In the many conversations Wythenshawe Good Neighbours have at their social gatherings one had a particular resonance with Marie Greenhalgh and Sam Days, the coordinators of Wythenshawe Good Neighbours.

Why don’t we make a Christmas Advert to promote the Good Neighbour group? Other discussions followed, what story can we tell?  Who will film it? How will we cast it?

As Marie is a writer in her spare time, she listened to the group and their ideas and together they came up with Christmas is for everyone. Often a particular group is targeted at Christmas but, they felt that anyone could feel excluded, or lonely and isolated at Christmas, not just the elderly. So, the story came to life.

Using a track from an old jazz group from the 1940s, The Ink Spots, a well know favourite “The Best Things in Life Are Free” was chosen as the “score” for the film. A chat with John McCormack, a childhood friend of Marie’s, and great colleague and friend of the good neighbour group, who is also the director of a not for profit community initiative that support adults with learning and physical challenges, Marie and Sam found their camera man and crew.

On a budget of love in abundance, good will, raw talent and local actors cast from both Wythenshawe Good Neighbours and Community Media Crew they made this incredible thought provoking short film.

We are so proud of the way two very different community initiatives, at opposite ends of the social care spectrum, came together to produce this Christmas film with such a simple message. Even more proud that it was created solely on volunteer time and talent. We have shown how the best things in life are truly free.