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The Trading Standards Institute (TSI) is calling all amateur videographers, media students, filmmakers and directors to create a 90-second ‘Good Neighbours Stop Rogue Traders’ informational video. The video should be designed to encourage friends, family, neighbours and carers to help protect vulnerable citizens against doorstep crime. Creators of the winning video will receive a £1,000 prize.

The competition, sponsored by the Institute of Professional Willwriters (IPW) and the Institute of Scottish Professional Willwriters (ISPW), was launched today by broadcaster and journalist Lynn Faulds Wood at TSI’s annual Conference. Winners will be announced during this year’s TSI National Consumer Week (NCW) campaign to raise awareness in communities of rogue traders and encourage them to look out for each other.

“I have seen first-hand the distress that rogue traders cause their victims and the devastating impact that it can have on their lives,” said Consumer Minister Jenny Willott. “Video is a brilliant way to raise awareness of this important issue and is another weapon in the war on dodgy traders who prey on the most vulnerable people in our communities. I urge amateur videographers, media students and others to take up the challenge and help stop people from falling foul of this type of crime.”

As part of the ‘Good Neighbours Stop Rogue Traders’ campaign, competition participants will create a video encouraging people to prevent elderly and vulnerable neighbours, family and friends from falling victim to exploitive doorstep traders.

“This is a great opportunity for creative minds to join trading standards in promoting our key messages and protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities,” said Leon Livermore, TSI chief executive. “Every year there are as many as 170,000 incidents in the UK where rogue traders try to illicitly solicit money from consumers in their home. Not only does this impact an individual’s financial wellbeing, it affects their mental and physical health. The ‘Good Neighbours Stop Rogue Traders’ video competition is a great opportunity to use the creative capital in this country to help protect some of our most vulnerable citizens.”

The deadline for entries is midnight Wednesday 1 October. All videos will be considered for a place in the semi-final. Semi-finalists will be announced on 20 October. The videos will then be judged by a panel of industry and media experts including Faulds Wood and National Consumer Federation (NCF) President Mary McAnally.

“The IPW and ISPW are delighted to be sponsoring something as important as National Consumer Week,” said IPW CEO Sally L Brown. “All of our members are trained to be aware of the importance of identifying and helping the vulnerable and in particular the elderly when attending on them to write their wills. I am particularly pleased that we can help get the message out to the general public about the importance of being a good neighbour.”

The winner will be announced at the beginning of NCW on 3 November, will receive £1,000 and will have their video played by trading standards officers and community partners across the country as part of an educational campaign.

To enter, visit the TSI ‘Good Neighbours Stop Rogue Traders’ page……. (links removed as out of date)

For further information, to arrange an interview or to obtain photographs please contact the Trading Standards Institute on 0845 6089439 or [email protected] or follow the TSI Conference via our Twitter feed at @tsi_UK #TSICONF

For rules and more information on the competition, please visit http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/events/2014.cfm