An aspiring film-maker from Goole says that the Opportunity Goole team, funded by Goole Town Deal, has ‘catapulted’ his ‘dreams to the next level’ by making it possible for him to take part in a film-making course at one of the UK’s leading film schools.

Having recently graduated from a four-week course at the London Film Academy, Sean Yendall has also forged invaluable links within the industry and has a series of film-making projects in the pipeline for the coming months.

He explained: “After spending many Saturdays in Goole Library, honing my skills in writing screenplays, a wonderful lady called Julie, who is a Personal Advisor with the Opportunity Goole team, approached me and explained what it was all about.

“I was thrilled that, finally, I may get to do some real training with industry professionals and receive a recognised award while doing so. The grant application process was very quick and the team had a genuine interest in me, which was exhilarating.”

As well as enabling Sean to learn new skills and gain a recognised qualification in his chosen field, attending the course also allowed him to network and connect with like-minded individuals. He’s now planning to come together with four others from the course later this year to produce a series of short films. 

During his time in the capital, Sean also met with representatives of London-based NHS organisations and spoke to them about producing a film on men’s mental health issues. This is one of the projects that Sean and his newly-established film crew will be filming as part of their collaborative work later this year.

He said: “We hope to obtain advocacy from the health organisations. The road ahead is long for a newly-established film crew but, thanks to Opportunity Goole, my dreams have been catapulted the next level. 

“I can’t thank the team enough; they were exceptionally helpful.”

Sean Yendall (pictured centre, in the grey tracksuit) celebrating his graduation from the London Film Academy course, with his fellow graduates.

• Opportunity Goole is a free service offering advice, support and grant funding to both businesses and individuals. To find out more, visit the team at Goole Library or email: opportunity.goole@eastriding.gov.uk to arrange an appointment.