Did you know that national hoarding awareness week is fast approaching? The awareness week starts on Monday 13th of May, which is the same day mental health awareness week starts.

The awareness week started in 2014 and has grown each year. So the theme for this year is called “Then and Now”, which is centred around looking back at how much has changed throughout the last decade

Hoarding is a recognised mental health diagnosis. It is the excessive collection and retention of any material to the point that living space is sufficiently cluttered to preclude activities for what they are designed for.

Those who care for someone hoarding often go through forms of mental health stigma, which can often set difficult challenges in their relationship with the person hoarding.

Hoarding disorders are challenging to treat because many people who hoard frequently do not see it as a problem, or have little awareness of how it’s affecting their life or the lives of others. This can lead to families and friends struggling to maintain a relationship with the person who has the disorder.

There is much needed awareness for hoarding, so it is just by chance that a Leicester Animation Studio has launched Campaign for Animated Short Film Shedding Light on Hoarding Disorder.

Supported by the British Film Institute (BFI) NETWORK, the film will visually explore real human emotions within the context of Hoarding Disorder focusing on the relationship between a mother and her daughter.

Though the BFI NETWORK supported by the National Lottery is behind the project, Kino Bino are seeking pledges to complete the production. Their crowdfunding campaign is backed by national hoarding organisations such as Hoarding Disorder UK, Clouds End, and Hoarding Support, with Leicestershire Fire Service, academic experts, and organisations like the British Psychological Society, Age UK, and the APDO rallying behind this worthwhile film.

Don’t miss your chance to make a difference. Support the crowdfund here: https://greenlit.com/project/of-all-the-things

I would be very interested to see how things develop on the inclusion of families and carers of those who hoard at a later date.