"It's been really exciting, it's just an amazing opportunity and it's just so interesting to see how it all works! It's so nice to see so many other young people who are doing positive things. It's good to be here and spread the message of the project." Fiona Malpass, mental health campaigner, Essex
"I think ITV Fixers is amazing! I think there needs to be more projects like this bringing people together to show what they're trying to fix or to show what they think is broken and a problem in their area. It's a good thing, it's very positive." Daniel Banton, anti-knife crime campaigner, London
To celebrate the second birthday of its first national campaign 'ITV Fixers', the Public Service Broadcasting Trust staged a 90 minute entertainment-style programme in front of an audience at The London Studios which was also streamed live on itv.com Hundreds of young campaigners took part in The Big Fix Live! giving them the opportunity to highlight their projects and meet other Fixers from across England.
"It was an ambitious event," admitted Chief Executive Margo Horsley, " but then ITV Fixers is an ambitious project which has won many awards in recognition of the fantastic efforts of our Fixers. There are now 3,000 Fixers who have created over 400 projects and amassed a staggering 150,000 hours of voluntary work between them as well as filling 12 hours of editorial airtime on their regional news programmes.
We thought they deserved acknowledgement for their achievements by creating a show that was entertaining with a mixture of chat, video and live performances whilst putting the spotlight on some of the toughest issues affecting young Britons today including knife crime, abuse and homophobia.
It was an incredible evening and really showed that ITV Fixers are the big society in action. Young lives are being transformed because they have the chance to do something meaningful with the added bonus that it changes things for lots of other people too. For example, one young woman who suffered from mental health problems was too scared to leave the house when she became a Fixer. Now she's about to start a medical degree. In the process she also changed the hearts and minds of local employers about giving people with mental health problems a job. The confidence boost that being an ITV Fixer can bestow is priceless and I hope the 'Fixers effect' will stay with these people for the rest of their lives."
The Big Fix Live! included some unusual collaborations including a genre-defying hook up between an indie band, a rapper and a classical girls' choir.
ITV's Donal MacIntyre who gave his time freely to the event and presented The Big Fix Live! with Natalie Pinkham said, "It was a crazy mix of the glossy and the gritty and a creative collision between showbiz and grassroots action. We pulled it off on the night to really celebrate the work of ITV Fixers all over the country."
Renowned television director Steve Smith who directs some of the most popular shows on British television also gave his services for free and commented, " I think what's been nice about this show is that you just feel it's a lot of young people being creative and doing their own thing and being able to communicate their own ideas without anyone giving them boundaries or trying to rein them in and tell them what they can or can't do, which is fabulous, it's very refreshing."
Several celebrities recorded messages of congratulation and encouragement for the Fixers including Stephen Fry, Graham Norton, Alan Carr, Brooke Kinsella and John Barrowman which added to the general excitement.
ITV's Regional News Director Mark Southgate felt the show was 'spectacular' and 'would not have looked out of place if it had been broadcast as well as streamed. Every performance was spot-on, every interviewee got their point across effectively, every video was powerful and thought-provoking and the whole event was joyful, uplifting and moving."
The Public Service Broadcasting Trust would like to thank everyone who helped to make The Big Fix Live! such an overwhelming success and remind you that it is available to view on the dedicated website www.itvfixers.com along with behind-the-scenes footage.
