Young victims of bullying, or those who want to help friends or family members, are being offered support to mark Anti-Bullying Week 2012 .
As part of the lead-up to the national campaign – organised by the Anti-Bullying Alliance – children and young people in the district’s secondary schools, youth hubs and other settings are encouraged to bid for small grants of £100 to help prevent bullying.
Young people can complete a simple application form to say what their anti-bullying activities would be, what difference they would make and how the money would be spent.
These will then be assessed by the Council’s Young People’s Equality Consultation Group, which has representatives from a range of different backgrounds, and the best ideas will receive funding to put their suggestions into practice. The closing date for applications is 30 November.
Councillor Dine Romero (Lib-Dem, Southdown), Cabinet Member for Early Years, Children and Youth, said: “Bath & North East Somerset Council is determined to ensure that people feel safe across our district – in particular we want to support children and young people so they can enjoy their childhood and be prepared for adult life.
“We are already working closely with local youth groups on ways to prevent anyone from having to face being bullied. However, we’re always keen to hear fresh ideas and we welcome all suggestions for consideration.”
Any young person who wishes to make an application for an anti-bullying grant on behalf of their school, youth hub or other local setting should email [email protected] or speak to their organisation’s Anti-Bullying Lead.
Bath and North East Somerset has some of the best schools in the South West but continually strives for improvement. As part of the Council’s commitment to developing the role of schools in the local community and helping young people to make a positive difference to their lives, an Anti-Bullying Charter and support pack on dealing with domestic abuse have been developed in consultation with local young people and school staff. Both these resources are being distributed to secondary schools, youth hubs and other young people settings in Bath and North East Somerset.