Ros Hill
2009 Roebuck Cup winner
Over a surprisingly short period of time working for the BFFS Ros made a major impact on its operations and those it serves. Her first involvement with BFFS was working as a temp in the office in Swansea where her interest in community action led her and provided a welcome break from her PhD studies.
In the summer of 2006 Ros was working at the Swansea office when BFFS was forced to vacate premises there and move to Sheffield. Ros organised the relocation of BFFS’s considerable goods and chattels to the new office and moved with BFFS to a city she’d never been to. Without a doubt, the smooth transition this enabled meant BFFS could continue to provide a service with minimal disruption. Not content with preserving the status quo, however, Ros set about organising the office to ensure Members, regional groups, funders, the Board and all enquirers received the very best service that could be delivered.
Over the past three years every single major initiative from BFFS that has benefited film societies and community cinemas in the UK has been underpinned by the tireless hard work and dedication shown by Ros often in the face of challenging circumstances – limited resources of funding and staff to assist her, minimal direction and support, and the ongoing uncertainty of BFFS’s future – and consequently her job.
Indeed, Ros’s dedication and belief in the value and work of community screening groups has directly resulted in a range of improved and new sources of inspiration and help for them: the BFFS Sourcebook, the new Website, Regional development, a network of new screening groups in Bradford, the BFFS phone and email query service and these National Conferences, are all testament to Ros’s endeavours.
Although Ros’s interest in the wider value of community activity now takes her away from BFFS she remains a strong advocate of the value of film as a culturally and socially uniting experience and we are honoured to recognise her personal commitment to the film society movement and the contribution she has made to further the success of screening groups across the UK.
