Posted on: 29th June 2023

St. George's Crypt, an award-winning homeless charity in Leeds, has embarked on an extraordinary collaboration with two innovative local media agencies, Little Motel, and Few and Far. Together, they have brought to life an engaging animated video and an interactive online pathway, offering a glimpse into the transformative work carried out by St. George's Crypt with homeless individuals. The initiative illustrates the charity's commitment to supporting people in transitioning from chaotic lives to becoming valuable contributors to society. From bench to Citizenship 

The animated video follows a series of steppingstones carefully designed to guide and empower individuals on their journey towards stability. The journey begins at St. George's Crypt's Care centre, where the charity provides not only free nourishing meals daily and a secure haven, but also crucial access to vital health services. From there, the journey continues through comprehensive Health and Wellbeing programs and dedicated drug and alcohol recovery programs, effectively breaking the cycle of homelessness and dependency. 

The decision to create an animation arose from the need to communicate the remarkable work carried out by St. George's Crypt in Leeds. Recognising the creativity and expertise of Little Motel and Few and Far, renowned media agencies, the animation was expertly crafted to be engaging and informative. The video effectively highlights the diverse range of services and partnerships utilised by St. George's Crypt, showcasing their ability to empower individuals to regain their independence. 

Colin Grist, Creative Director at Few and Far, said, 

“We work closely with The Crypt already and when they came to us to help raise more awareness of their Pathway, we jumped at the opportunity. We know how integral The Pathway is to the organisation and to those it helps - but we always felt that more could be done to explain it, so the opportunity to do more with it and to highlight how it can work for people from any and all backgrounds really inspired us to do something different. 

We have taken the concept of The Pathway - which is how St. George’s Crypt and their partner organisations support the homeless and vulnerable on their journey back to citizenship - and told a story that touches upon the people and places of The Crypt and how their cause truly changes the lives of those they help. 

Our interactive piece tells the story of ‘Peggy’, a character we created who begins her journey on The Pathway after becoming homeless due to a job redundancy, the experience follows her as she makes her own path through the Crypt on her way from living on the streets of Leeds to getting her life back on track with the help of the Crypt and its staff. 

Although Peggy is a character we’ve created for this experience, her story is very real. St. George’s Crypt helps thousands of people just like Peggy every year, people who come through the Crypt’s doors and need support. We’re delighted to be able to shine a light on their Pathway and celebrate how St. George’s Crypt continues to help change people’s lives.”  

Matt Cochrane, Studio Director at Little Motel said: 

“We love helping people who make a positive impact on their communities. So, it’s a privilege to be able to work with such an iconic local charity like St George’s Crypt. 

From living and working in the city over the years, we’ve seen first-hand the amazing work they do. So, when we spoke to the team about helping explain all those services, we knew we wanted to be involved. 

From an initial conversation with Ramon, their Lead Content Creator, it was clear we’d be able to help communicate the pathway’s programme with an engaging explainer animation. Collaborating with fellow Dock Street residents Few and Far, we developed a campaign showing how their clients develop and move through the Crypt’s services. As the project progressed, it was brilliant to be able to pull together a range of assets that St George’s Crypt will be able to use again and again to support the amazing work they do. 

The eagerly anticipated animation is now live on the charity's website, marking a significant milestone in St. George's Crypt's mission to transform lives. The launch will be accompanied by extensive coverage across the charity’s various social media platforms. 

For further information or media inquiries, please contact:

Bhekisipho Siwawa, Marketing Executive.

Email: Bhekisipho.Siwawa@stgeorgescrypt.org.uk 

Telephone: 0113 245 9061 Ext: 231