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        Your Very Good Health

        Long before the β€˜Charley Says’ campaign of the 1970s and β€˜80s, another cartoon Charley was used to demystify the newly created NHS.

        Animation & Artists Moving Image 1948 9 mins

        Overview

        Long before the β€˜Charley Says’ campaign of the 1970s and β€˜80s, another cartoon Charley was used to explain the post-war Labour government's new legislative reforms. In this film Charley demystifies the new state-funded National Health Service, detailing the benefits a free-at-point-of-delivery health service will offer to everyone in England. Endowed with an average man-on-the-street's everyday charm and armed with cheeky ripostes to authoritative commentary, the cartoon character designed by Joy Batchelor became the familiar face of official post-war propaganda, serving to anticipate and, it was hoped, overcome the British public's characteristic scepticism about government-imposed changes.

        This government film is a public record, preserved and presented by the BFI National Archive on behalf of The National Archives, home to more than 1,000 years of British history.