How a VideoScribe video helped shape Awaab’s Law

When barrister Christian Weaver appeared on BBC Breakfast to discuss Awaab’s Law, he wasn’t just celebrating new legislation, he was seeing the results of a campaign that reached far beyond typical government consultations.

At the heart of that success? A simple animated video made with VideoScribe.

🏘️ The Challenge: Low engagement in public consultations

Government consultations often struggle to connect with the people they’re meant to help. Legal language, long documents, and technical explanations can make it hard for the public to understand what’s being proposed, let alone respond.

When the government opened its consultation on Awaab’s Law, new legislation to ensure social landlords fix damp and mould hazards—engagement was expected to be low. Typically, consultations of this kind attract around 100 responses.

But barrister Christian Weaver, who represented Awaab’s family, knew that to make this law meaningful, more people, especially those in social housing and communities where English isn’t the first language, needed to be part of the conversation.

🎥 The Approach: Explaining complex information simply

To make the consultation accessible to everyone, Christian turned to VideoScribe, an easy-to-use animation tool built in Bristol.

With no design or video background, Christian created a short explainer video that broke down the key points of Awaab’s Law in plain, visual language. The video used animated illustrations and captions to show what the law would mean in real life, and how people could share their views.

By sharing it across social media and with community organisations, the video helped reach audiences who would otherwise never have engaged with a government consultation.

“We wanted to make sure that everyone affected by this issue could understand what was being proposed and have their say,” said Christian Weaver. “VideoScribe allowed me to create something that people could easily engage with and share.”

📈 The Outcome: Over 1,000 responses — and a new law

The results spoke for themselves. The Awaab’s Law consultation received over 1,000 public responses, more than ten times the usual number.

That feedback helped shape the final version of the law, which comes into effect this week. The legislation sets strict deadlines for social landlords to fix damp and mould hazards, ensuring safer homes and preventing further tragedies like Awaab’s.

And it all began with a simple video.

💬 The Impact

What started as a small effort to make legal information more accessible became a national story, featured on BBC Breakfast and shared by government departments and housing organisations across the UK. It’s a powerful reminder that simple communication can drive real change.

“This is a powerful example of how clear, visual communication helps people understand complex issues, and why accessibility matters,” said Zoe Taylor, CEO at VideoScribe. “We’re proud that our tool could help amplify Christian’s message and contribute, in a small way, to this life-saving law.”