Antonia Hunter helped make the awareness video for the A-T Society

A SIXTH form student has played a pivotal role in the making of a charity’s fundraising and awareness video.

Antonia Hunter, a pupil at the Knights Templar School in Baldock, got involved with the scripting and filming of the video when she joned the A-T Society as a voluntary intern.

Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) is a genetic disease which causes severe disability in children and leads to early death for those diagnosed with the condition.

The A-T Society helps children and their families with practical and emotional support, provides national clinics and funds medical research with the aim of finding a cure for the condition.

Antonia, who is partially deaf, said: “I felt it was really important to work for a charity during my time in the sixth form, and the A-T Society encouraged me to use the skills learned from my creative and media diploma and my English and media A-levels.

“Whilst I was with them I designed a new range of posters as well as helping with the groundwork for the video. I was really excited when they asked me to present it too.”

The project meant a trip to Cheshire to work with Chris Corcoran, a TV producer and actor, who invited Antonia to assist with editing the short video.

The finished film can be viewed on the charity’s website www.atsociety.org.uk

Antonia, who leaves Knights Templar this year, is looking forward to starting a degree in broadcast journalism in September.

Knights Templar headteacher Andrew Pickering said: “We are delighted Antonia has been able to combine her obvious talent in the creative and media area with a cause which is dear to her heart. This is an astonishing achievement for a young person who is still at school.”

William Davis, chief executive of the A-T Society, explained: “We suspect quite a few cases of A-T are going undiagnosed, as many medical professionals are unaware of the condition.

“Lack of awareness amongst the public also makes it difficult to raise funds for research.

“When the opportunity to make a fundraising and awareness video with Chris Corcoran arose, we wanted to make it count, and Antonia’s involvement was extremely helpful in achieving this.

“Since the video went live it has generated new supporters, and a number of new cases of A-T have been diagnosed.”