Sandwell Council’s SHAPE Programme has delivered another successful Anti-bullying Week (Monday 11 November to Friday 15 November) roadshow in partnership with youth services and West Midlands Police.
The team visited 10 schools and taught hundreds of children how to look after themselves and others. The theme of this year’s roadshow was ‘Change Starts With Us’ and the team emphasised how individuals can take more of a personal role in helping to stamp out bullying in Sandwell schools.
The partnership delivered interactive workshops focusing on what is and isn’t bullying, how not to be a bystander and how being more resilient can help us deal with bullying and other tough situations in our lives.
The workshops included hard-hitting videos about bullying, how you can be an up-stander and support people being bullied, as well as teaching children how to stay safe on the internet. Sessions also included topics such as transition from primary to secondary school, changes in friendships and left the children with a personal gift highlighting their qualities, something they can return to in the future when they are feeling low or in need of reassurance.
Lisa McNally, Director for Public Health visited Rounds Green Primary School in Oldbury during one of the sessions. She said: “The anti-bullying workshops have been a fantastic success again this year. I was really impressed how the partnership between SHAPE, Youth Service and the Police is providing a shining light on this important issue.
“We hope the messages given during the workshops will stay with the children and help them to know what to do if they are being bullied, especially how to be an up-stander. It is important for them to understand that we will only tackle bullying, if we all take personal responsibility.
“Although Anti-bullying Week is a time to highlight this issue I want to make sure it remains a priority with schools, families and most importantly children and young people, all year round.
“Children and young people should not be afraid to speak out if they feel they are being bullied and we must all take a personal responsibility to stamp it out.”
Rounds Green Primary School were also celebrating Children in Need and raising money for the charity when the visit took place on Friday 15 November.
