World Kindness Day November 2020

Friday 13 November 2020 marks World Kindness Day, and we are so proud to launch our Kindness Handbook to commemorate the day.

Kindness is important and necessary now more than ever before, and this was amply demonstrated at the start of the pandemic. We clapped for our NHS and key workers, we helped neighbours and strangers during tough times, we provided meals to the most vulnerable. We shared mutual grief, empathy and compassion as a community.

Be Kind Movement captured images of compassion and empathy sent to us by the public, creating our Kindness During Covid video - a reminder of how mankind came together at a time of crisis.

But it is also a reminder that it should not just be tragedy that binds us. What binds us is what makes us innately human - Kindness, and that should be the norm in good or bad times.

Now is the time to embrace kindness in all it's forms. Download our Kindness Handbook today and please share it far and wide and help Be Kind Movement become just that - a movement.

Riverside Reports 30 Oct 2020

Scroll to 44:00 to hear Be Kind Movement Founder Premila Puri talk to Mary Lou Watson from Riverside Radio Wandsworth about their Kindness During Christmas campaign.

Kindness During Christmas November 2020

In December 2020, Be Kind Movement aimed to spread Christmas cheer by providing presents to the most disadvantaged children living in deprived areas within Wandsworth, where the charity is based. Thank you to everyone who made our Christmas Campaign possible! Watch our video below to see the huge impact our campaign made on the children’s Christmas during this difficult time.

Spreading Kindness During Christmas

Christmas is an extremely challenging time for those who suffer from existing mental health disorders, and this is significantly prevalent among young people and children in the UK:

• In England, 1 in 8 children from ages 5-19 had a diagnosable mental health disorder in 2018. This is roughly 1 in 3 children in every classroom

• Anxiety and depression were found to be the most common, affecting 1 in 12, and more prevalent amongst girls

• Half of these problems manifest themselves by the age of 14, and in 2017, suicide was the most common cause of death for both boys and girls ages between 5 and 19

Whilst these statistics show the scale of the mental health crisis faced by a significant number of young people, the festive period can also be particularly triggering for those who do not typically suffer from mental health disorders. The reality for many of us at Christmas is that the shorter days, pressure to always be upbeat and happy through difficult family situations can make the festive period a particularly challenging time. It has been found that a quarter of the population feel that Christmas negatively impacts their mental health, three in ten people experience anxiety and a quarter experience depression. 

For families with children especially those living in low income areas  the financial impact of the Coronavirus is likely to cause further strain both mentally and physically this Christmas.

Join us to Ensure No Child Goes Without a Gift this Xmas!

Be Kind Movement aimed to spread Christmas cheer by providing presents to the most disadvantaged children living in deprived areas within Wandsworth, where the charity is based.

We believe that if we fail to invest in improving children’s emotional well-being especially during this pandemic, we risk facing a serious crisis when issues such as anxiety, depression, self-harm escalate in the future inflicting significant damage to a child’s emotional well-being and mental health in the long term.

Our partnership with local community groups allows us to identify and reach the most vulnerable children and ensure they do not go without a gift this Christmas. 

The Impact of Your Donation

Your generous donations helped vulnerable children in the following way:

• £10 bought one gift for one primary school child aged 6-11 years;

• £15 bought one amazon voucher for one secondary school child aged 12-16 years.

Your donations made such a difference to the family emotional equilibrium and brought joy to a vulnerable child in Wandsworth, who otherwise would not have received a gift at Christmas.

Thank you for Helping us Spread Kindness at Christmas!

#kindnessmatters

Facebook Online Auction October 2020

Join our Facebook Auction Group!

Please join us either donors and/or bidders as we raise funds to run kindness workshops that develop emotional intelligence skills in children and young people from low income and disadvantaged groups.

Below is a small selection of items generously donated to us. If you are interested in donating, please click into our facebook online group and read our guidelines ahead of posting. If you are interested in bidding, please join us on the 10th and 11th October to participate in the bidding from 10am onwards.

Thank you for supporting our campaign and we look forward to hearing from you.

3 hours of marketing consultancy support
Starting bid.

RRP: £40

Isolation Sensation Chocolate Truffle Kit and Online Workshop.

Starting bid: £20.00

Win a graphic design digital version of one of your personal photos with up to 5 people in the photo.

RRP: £10

Original Pen drawing on 300g/m pure cotton Arches Aquarelle Watercolour paper.

RRP: £135

Signed copy of Stephen Fry’s new book Troy, made out to the lucky winner.

Starting Bid: £12.50

Traditional Afternoon tea for Two at 5 Star Montcalm Hotel.

Starting bid: £40.00

Emperor Suite, Hotel Rafayel.

RRP: 350

Be Kind Movement Mug.

Starting bid: £5

Speaker Master Class.

RRP: £99+vat

Baby Blue Humpback Whale: Fused glass humpback whale in shimmering sky blue.

RRP: £45

1 week's stay at the Cottage Cattery for any lovely cat.

RRP: £49

2 tickets to see UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro on Saturday 10 April 2021, 6.30pm at the O2 in London.

Starting bid: £50.00

Be Kind Movement’s Fundraising Gala Event September 2020

Kindness to Others, Kindness to Yourself. 

Be Kind Movement is delighted to host its third webinar this year and we have an amazing program lined up for you this September! 

Alongside showcasing our multi-award winning short film ITSY, you’ll also have the opportunity to watch the BFI and Film London funded Dad Joke, co-written and performed by our Kindness Ambassador, actor and comedian, Joshua Robertson. Joshua’s life is testament to the fact that no obstacle is great enough to come in the way of achieving your dreams and we're delighted to have Joshua on board!

Click here to book your tickets!

Ticket price: £20 + booking fee
Promo code: Multiple (15% off ticket price when you book more than one ticket)
You will receive your Zoom link on the 10th Sept.

Raising funds for Kindness workshops to build emotional intelligence skills for children from low income families especially affected by Covid-19.

ITSY - A lonely and anxious woman befriends a spider who helps her to see herself and the world differently and, ultimately, helps her to find a friend in her next door neighbour. 

Dad Joke - A disabled standup comedian performs his make-or-break gig on the night his first child is born. 

PARENTS PLEASE NOTE: Dad Joke is certified for children aged 15 years and older and we claim no responsibility for children younger than 15 who view this film.

If you are unable to join our webinar, please consider donating a sum of your choice via one of these options: https://www.bekindmovement.co.uk/donate-now 

ITSY and Only the Lonely Fundraising Screening July 2020

Two neighbours

One kind act 

Their lives changed forever.

Join us as we celebrate two very inspiring films, ITSY and Only the Lonely, that depict loneliness, tolerance, kindness and friendship within a community and beyond. 

Click to book your tickets here

Should you not be able to attend the screening, you can see highlights on our YouTube Page. And if you wish to donate, please do so by clicking here

Changing the world through kindness… one Itsy bit at a time

It has been truly moving to witness the array of kind gestures, actions and intentions that have taken place throughout the world during recent times. In the face of adversity, we’ve seen the true spirit of humanity shine through, and there is an abundance of research to highlight the mental, physical and emotional benefits of showing kindness to yourself and others.

This weeks post offers an insight into an organisation creating empowering change to spread more kindness in the world. They are doing this through the release of their film Itsy, their Be Kind School Programme and various other campaign initiatives to get the world thinking about the positive impact of kindness. This organisation is our charity partner, Be Kind Movement, and here their Founder and Director Premila Puri shares her kindness mission, alongside a fresh perspective on small acts of kindness we can all do.

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We all have the power to make a difference

Founder of Be Kind Movement, Premila Puri

Kindness has been proven to increase our happiness, reduce stress and improve emotional wellbeing. At the same time, spreading kindness offers us the opportunity to connect with others, building a stronger sense of community and unity with friends, family, neighbours and even strangers.

A great example of this is the #ClapForCarers campaign, which has seen people across the whole of the UK come together to show their appreciation for our key workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This simple act of kindness lets all of those working on the front line know that their hard work and commitment is appreciated and of value, hopefully building up their spirits and boosting positive morale. Click here to read more.

Premila Puri on Riverside Radio

Skip through to 6.53 to hear Be Kind Movement Founder, Premila Puri, talk to Julia Bright from Riverside Radio about short film ITSY featuring in their Kindness workshops in schools for children and young people in Wandsworth.

Be Kind Movement Announces Joshua Robertson As New Kindness Ambassador

The UK charity Be Kind Movement have today announced that multi-talented comedian, writer, actor and star of BBC Three's Amazing Human series Joshua Robertson is their newest Kindness ambassador.

The London-born comedian has performed his stand-up routines all over the world including: Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, New York, Indonesia and the UK - including regular performances at the London Comedy Store.

He also wrote and starred in the 2019 short film Dad Joke which premiered at 2019's BFI London Film Festival. The film is due to be released on-line by BFI network on Fri 12 June.

Joshua appeared in BBC Three's Amazing Humans web series in 2017 which showcased the inspiring journey of how life-changing injuries he sustained as a child, which left him unable to walk or talk for two years, didn't stop him from fulfilling his dreams.

After a serious motorbike crash at the age of 11 left him in a coma, Joshua now lives with a physical disability and as such, is a strong advocate for the power of kindness. Click here to read more.

Be Kind Movement's June 2020 virtual screening of ITSY

About This Event

Screened at 19 film festivals globally and winner of six film awards, it gives us great pleasure to invite you to Be Kind Movement's first virtual screening of ITSY in association with our wellbeing partner, Calmer, on Thursday 18th June 2020.

Please join us for the ITSY screening followed by an inspiring discussion with Be Kind Founder, ITSY producer and co-director Premila Puri as well as Calmer Founder and Director, Tania Diggory.

Click Here to read more and buy tickets to the online event

Be Kind Movement - Laura's volunteering experience

As it is national Volunteers' Week, I wanted to share my experience of the volunteering I am doing at the moment. While everything at the moment seems so difficult in the world, I hope this is a positive reminder that kindness still exists.

Back in February, I went along to a 'speed networking' event organised by the Media Trust. The Media Trust connect charities and skilled communications volunteers, so marketeers like me can give back in a structured way. At the event, I 'matched' with several organisations and have since offered pro bono advice and support to six different charities all doing amazing work.

The seventh charity I began supporting, and continue to do so now, is the Be Kind Movement. Established by Premila Puri in 2015, the charity works hard to provide educational opportunities to empower children and young people to develop their emotional intelligence through acts of kindness. Click Here to read more on Laura’s experience volunteering at Be Kind Movement.

Be Kind Movement: Kindness During Covid-19

Be Kind Movement has been promoting and celebrating the power of kindness since 2015. Their Kindness in School Programme provides learning opportunities for children and young people to develop their emotional intelligence skills. Click here to read more…

The 2.6 Challenge is happening!

On Sunday 26 April 2020, people across the country are coming together to take on the #twopointsixchallenge to help save UK charities. We are so excited to say we have some amazing fundraisers taking part on behalf of Be Kind Movement!

Everyone taking part makes our work possible. It means we can spread kindness more and survive during the Coronavirus pandemic. Thank you so much everyone and we can’t wait to to see what creative challenges you take on!

How to take part

The 2.6 Challenge can be any activity you like – from running 2.6 miles to holding an online workout with 26 of your friends!

Choose your #TwoPointSixChallenge, use the button below to start fundraising for your 2.6 Challenge, then complete your challenge. Good luck!

Visit the 2.6 Challenge!

Ark Priory School Kindness Workshop

Be Kind Movement was invited by Ark Priory Primary Academy in Acton, London to deliver a Kindness workshop to a small group of Year 6 Students.

Students watched the film Itsy as a way of introducing the theme of kindness, identified the central message of the film, explored and reflected on how they could be kind to others and shared their feelings on the one thing they would take away from the class. 

The children were enthusiastic about watching the film, had a visibly high level of engagement with the film and appeared to be delighted and amused at the attendance of the filmmaker in the classroom. The following comments were expressed on the message of the film by the students:

• Togetherness

• Friendship

• Kindness (‘she made a plastic house for the spider’)

• Empathy (‘I feel sorry for the woman’)

Towards the end of the workshop, the children were asked the question: Who can you show kindness to and this is what they shared:

• ‘To my teacher - if teacher trips, I’ll help him’

• ‘Friend - if my friend is sad maybe I can play with him to make him happy’

• ‘Girls - I can invite girls to play football’

• ‘Mum - I can cook at home to help mum’

The evaluation form also contained two open ended questions that elicited responses offering a glimpse into their reflections of the Kindness workshop. The children wrote the following:

What one thing will you take away from the workshop?

• Always be kind to anything

• Learnt about kindness

• I learnt how to be kind

• Respect Kindness

What makes today’s workshop different to the other classes you’ve attended before?

• It taught me stuff

• It was fun

• It’s (about) kindness

• It’s more helpful

This group of students was selected by the school as particularly lacking in confidence, high levels of disengagement with a poor attitude towards women, and therefore the most likely to benefit from such a workshop. The teacher expressed concern that childrens’ issues at the primary school stage, when not managed at an early age, manifest into more complex and deeper issues as they transition into secondary school by which time interventions ‘are too late’.

The teacher commented on how wonderful it was for the children to see positive Muslim characters on screen and the diversity offered in such an educational resource. It was also appreciated how well the workshop was received by the students and the suggestion to host a 30 minutes workshop at the assembly for the whole school.

Swaffield Primary Kindness Workshop

On January 24th 2020, Be Kind Movement showed ITSY film to all of year 6 (46 children) at Swaffield Primary School in Wandsworth, London.

Excerpts from the evaluation report compiled by our workshop delivery partner, deep:black.

The intention of the workshop was to provide practical and experiential learning to students to deepen their understanding of kindness. This group was selected as the most likely to benefit by being able to reflect on their experiences of primary school and in preparation for them to soon be leaving primary to join secondary. By the end of the workshop students watched the film Itsy as a way of introducing the theme of kindness, identified and shared their personal stories of giving and receiving kindness. They also creatively explored and reflected on their experiences, shared feelings with their peers and made a commitment to be more kind to themselves.

It was noticed that children visibly engaged with the film and were expressive as they watched it. They expressed fear for Itsy and relief when Itsy was discovered safe. One child commented, I was sad when I thought spider dies and when he survived that made me happy. Some children commented on Muslim characters on screen sharing positivity about their faith and relief that there was no mention of terrorists, one child recognized the spoken Arabic in the film. The team noticed how welcome and unusual it seemed to have such diverse characters offered in an educational resource.

What one thing will you take away from the workshop?

Children wrote the following:

• Be kind and helpful, to help more people,

• I will takeaway the sunshine game,

• Be more kind to my family, to listen to others more, to be more positive.

• I can be kind to myself by not letting things bother me,

• By not being stressed out.

• I learnt that you should not bully.

• I liked when we talked about how to be kind to ourselves.

• To not judge someone or something,

• I learnt about spiders,

• I learnt about happiness,

• Useful to think about feelings creatively.

• To talk more to my parents and don’t hide anything.

• To respect other people, to be kind to everyone,.

• To not to be afraid of spiders.”

Premila Puri live at SOAS Radio London at Resonance FM

“Kindness & connection, with ITSY film producer & philanthropist Premila Puri on this A World in London! In a world where most people are ‘on the take’, Premila Puri is on the GIVE, finding a voice for kindness through her award-winning film, Itsy, and her charity, the Be Kind Movement.

Podcast Interview with Lena Chauhan, CEO of RiseIQ

World Kindness day was celebrated recently with many wonderful initiatives led by workplaces, schools and charities. One act of kindness can change a life -Many such acts can create a movement. Be Kind Movement was set up in 2015 to empower women and children with education that uplifts and transforms hearts and minds!

Hear Premila Puri’s, Founder of Be Kind Movement, podcast interview on her entrepreneurial journey to startups and charity.

ITSY Short Film Premier

Presenter Sukaina went to the Curzon Cinema in central London to check out the premiere of the Be Kind Movement's short film 'Itsy'.