Rays of Sunshine Fundraising Film

We brighten the lives of seriously ill children across the UK by granting magical wishes and providing ongoing support in hospitals and within the community.

The brief

Rays of Sunshine commissioned The Saltways to create a fundraising film showing their impact on seriously ill children and families. The film centred on Cecilia (Cissy) Adamou, who received a wish at age 10 while hospitalised with heart failure and maintains a lasting relationship with the charity. The objective was to create an emotionally resonant piece demonstrating the charity's unique approach of ongoing support beyond single wishes. Targeting corporate sponsors, donors, and the public, the film needed to inspire action through authentic story telling. We emphasised bringing joy during difficult times, seeing the child beyond their illness, and supporting entire families - all conveyed with empathy, empowerment, and hope.

The process

Production took place at Cissy's home in Weybridge with a lean two-person crew to maintain intimacy. Extensive pre-production ensured ethical storytelling: obtaining informed consent, sharing the questions in advance, and prioritising Cissy's agency in controlling her narrative. The filming day included interviews with Cissy and her mother, followed by b-roll capturing natural moments - looking through photographs, everyday interactions, and contemplative shots. Visual storytelling emphasised personal mementos, hospital photos, and documentation of her original wish meeting with singer Joe McElderry. Post-production maintained ongoing communication, sharing rough cuts for review to ensure accurate representation of Cissy. The film was designed to drive donations and website traffic through hopeful, authentic storytelling.

The Results

"We LOVE the film and we’ve had such a positive response from those we’ve shared it with to-date." -Amy

"We LOVE the film and we’ve had such a positive response from those we’ve shared it with to-date."