A GLASGOW couple have been awarded a National Lottery gong , after working to help the deaf and hearing impaired community.
Sean Welsh and Megan Mitchell, from the West End of Glasgow, were awarded in the Culture, Arts and Film category at the 2020 National Lottery Awards for their work in captioning previously un-captioned films.
The couple have worked with Matchbox Cineclub, a Glasgow-based group, 2017 to organise cult film screenings.
After lockdown was announced in March, Sean and Megan, with the help of funding from the National Lottery and the British Film Institute, got to work helping to make 250 films accessible to deaf or hearing impaired people.
The couple worked tirelessly 12 hours a day, 7 days a week to do so.
Sean said: “It’s an honour to win this National Lottery Award for the work we’ve been doing.
"We are strong believers that film provides a unique kind of escapism, creativity and excitement for all.
"That’s why we felt it was important to evolve our work with Matchbox Cineclub and help all audiences find comfort in film during these challenging times."
Matchbox Cineclub had received £6,250 in funding from the National Lottery to complete work on the subtitling of films.
Megan said: “Thank you to everyone who plays The National Lottery, through your funding we’ve been able open up the joy of film to more people at a time when it’s needed most.”
The duo were congratulated by radio DJ and TV presenter Edith Bowman, who said: " “A big congratulations to Megan and Sean on winning the Art, Film and Culture Award at this year’s National Lottery Awards for all the work that they’ve done for deaf and hard of hearing audiences, especially during lockdown.
“They made it their mission to give everyone access to the world of film, and support cinemas and independent film exhibitors as they took their activities online during this crucial time.
"Due to their commitment captioning hundreds of films for Scottish cinemas, festivals and groups, it has meant that many more audiences can find enjoyment in film."
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