One great reason for helping Children in Need

FUN and frolics today will bring in millions of pounds for Children in Need — which will then be distributed up and down the country to causes which make a real difference to people’s lives.

One of those to have benefited from Children in Need funding is Boltonbased Bully Free Zone, which has helped hundreds of children and families — and even saved lives.

In the past six years the charity, based in Chorley New Road, has received around £30,000 a year from Children in Need.

Without the grant and other similar sources of funding, the charity would not be able to continue its work in helping victims of bullying.

Since establishing itself 14 years ago, the charity has become an integral part of services available to children and families in Bolton.

Project co-ordinator Kev Walsh said: “This funding is absolutely vital to the Family Support Project we have. Bully Free Zone depends solely on grant funding. We do not get funding from the council or other agencies, although we have referrals from the local authority, the health service and schools.”

He added: “Bully Free Zone has saved lives. We have had young people who have expressed committing suicide or harming themselves. They are now confident and happy and living their lives.”

Many of the young people who have been helped by the charity are now volunteers with Bully Free Zone.
The charity also works with perpetrators of bullying, helping them to deal with issues such as anger management and peer pressure. It also helps set up prevention schemes in schools.

Unfortunately, the Children in Need funding will run out in April and the charity will have to look for other sources of funding to carrying on its work.

Mr Walsh said the charity needed the help of the community and appealed to businesses to lend their expertise as well as local people.

Children in Need mascot Pudsey Bear kickstarted the marathon fundraising effort in Bolton today. The bear will be taken to primary schools to collect money raised by children who wore yellow for the day and took part in “baking a bear”.

He made a surprise visit to The Oaks in Sharples yesterday and today he will revisit the school, along with Sharples Primary and Gaskell Street Primary to collect the money.

Also getting in on the act today will be St Paul’s CE Primary in Astley Bridge, which is organising a St Paul’s has got Talent event for staff and pupils.

Chris Baldwin, community colleague at Asda, said: “We get behind Children in Need every year and this year hope to raise more money than ever before.

“Children are paying a £1 to wear yellow and have been given plastic cutters to make Pudsey to sell to family and friends.”

● Anybody who can help Bully Free Zone by holding fundraising events — or businesses which can help — can contact the charity on 01204 454 958.

(From The Bolton News)

Reduce Bullying? Teach Human Rights.

 

Unicef project in hundreds of UK schools helps to foster calmer classrooms and a reduction in bullying and truancy.

Teaching children about their human rights can reduce bullying and exclusions, improve relations with teachers and create a calmer atmosphere for learning, according to an academic study published today.

A Unicef UK project running in more than 1,000 schools across Britain teaches pupils about their rights and responsibilities, and encourages them to draw up charters for classroom behaviour.

The first evaluation of the project since its launch in 2004 has found that its introduction was accompanied by a fall in truancy and an improvement in results at schools with a high proportion of children on free school meals.

The evidence is highlighted in a three-year study of the Rights Respecting School Award (RRSA), undertaken by researchers at the universities of Sussex and Brighton.

In a study of 31 schools, researchers found that there was "little or no shouting" and that conflicts between pupils escalated far less frequently than they had done before the schools adopted the new approach. Fixed-term exclusions decreased in 13 schools, stabilised in three, and five reported no exclusions, the study says.

Pupils increasingly took part in making decisions, ranging from debates about the state of the playground to discussions on staff appointments. In some schools, pupils showed candidates for teaching jobs around the school and identified questions they wanted to ask.

Pupils also gave feedback after candidates for teaching jobs gave sample lessons.

Anita Tiessen, deputy executive director of Unicef UK, said: "It is wrong that all children in the UK don't learn about their rights. Today's evaluation report shows what a profound effect it can have not only on children, but teachers, school leaders, governors and parents."

Meanwhile, research published today by the educational charity the Sutton Trust finds that poor children are twice as likely to start school with behaviour problems, compared with their more privileged peers. More than a third (35%) of the poorest three-year-old boys displayed behaviour problems, compared with one in six (15%) of those living in richer households, the study says.

The research, by Elizabeth Washbrook of Bristol University, asked parents to rate their child's behaviour in terms of hyperactivity and inattention, problems with conduct, emotional symptoms, and peer-related problems.

By the age of seven, 22% of the poorest boys still suffered from behaviour problems, compared towith 10% of those from richer homes.

Amongst girls, the rates were lower, but nearly a third of the poorest girls exhibited symptoms of behaviour problems at the age of three, which dropped to a fifth at age seven.

The research suggests that the gap in behaviour between poorer and wealthier children has widened over the last 10 years. Girls from low-income families who were born in the early 1990s were twice as likely to display behavioural problems than their peers at age seven. Those born around the millennium were three-and-a-half times as likely to show such symptoms.

Behaviour problems are more common among children from disadvantaged backgrounds, the study says, and the differences between rich and poor are starkest at the age of three, before children begin school.

Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the education charity Sutton Trust, said: "This study builds on earlier evidence from the trust showing that children from poorer homes are already one year behind their middle-income peers on cognitive tests when they start school.

"We now know that disadvantaged children are also much more likely to have difficult and challenging behaviour. It is no wonder that the gaps in achievement grow during primary school.

"More than anything, the research shows once again why it is so important to intervene pre-school to stem problems before they develop."

Taken from Guardian.co.uk

"It's not a sign of weakness" - Susan Boyle

Susan Boyle has revealed that she considered suicide after she became a victim of bullies as a teenager.

The Scots singer admitted that she had suffered from psychological bullying and seeked professional help to overcome her ordeal.

She told the News of the World: "When I was 17 I did think about doing something nasty. It was all psychological. I was damaged.

"I had to get help from a professional. I also had to see a doctor who gave me treatment."

She added: "You mustn't be afraid to do that. It's not a sign of weakness.

"It gave me the confidence to fight back, knock on people's doors, audition and finally get what I wanted.

"In my case it was a small group of teenage girls that put me to that place. They're the worst kind. It can really hold you back and damage you. Mental bullying is the worst kind of bullying."

The Britain's Got Talent star added that she "will not let fame" change her and added that it is "nicer to stay grounded".

This article has been taken from www.stv.tv.

Thank You Everyone!

We’d like to say a huge thank you for all of the donations made over the last 12 months.

A particular thanks to all of the young people, volunteers and friends of Bully Free Zone who have helped raise money during the numerous bag packing and supermarket collection events we've held. Collectively we've raised over £2000 at Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsburys stores around Bolton.

Thanks also to Sunninghill School for generously donating proceeds from their school fair and allowing us to hold a stall there on the day, raising over £300 in total.

Thank you to The Gates school, Rivington & Blackrod High School, Watergate Toll Toby Carvery, Nat West and Brian Iddon (ex-MP of Bolton) for making donations or holding fundraising events in order to raise money for us.

Thanks to all of the many people who have sponsored our young people and volunteers during our annual sponsored walk event and to everyone who has donated through our Virgin Money Giving page. Especially to Gary Neville for providing us with signed Manchester United football shirts which helped in raising money.

A massive thank you to all of the people of Bolton and beyond who donated money during all of these events.