Today kicks off Anti-Bullying Week so the team are wearing odd socks!
It's a Odd Socks Day, a day when people are encouraged to wear odd socks, an inexpensive way to look very different and a reminder for us all to celebrate what makes us unique.
Schools around the constituency have young people donning crazy socks and raising money for the anti-bullying causes as well as learning more about why sticking together, supporting one another and respecting each other is a good way to live.
Odd Socks Day is a great way to introduce celebrating difference, rather than tearing it down and is part of many activities that local children will participate in over the next week.
During the week young people learn what to do if they are bullied and where they can find help, they learn to recognise differences and that being different is fine and they learn to stand up for each other as well as how to calmly challenge those who have caused offence so it is not repeated.
Even our intern Leoni got involved and she had some awesome Harry Potter socks to show off!
Anti Bullying Week also acts as a good reminder to parents that bullying is absolutely not acceptable and should not be tolerated in our schools. All state schools are required to have a behaviour policy that includes measures to prevent all forms of bullying among pupils. Many academies and private schools have similar policies in place.
The Department for Education have published guidance to help schools and funded work to target bullying. A grant programme of over £28.m of funding to four anti bullying organisations with particular work on supporting those with special educational needs and disabilities alongside work to report online and text message bullying - something parents and youth may see more often than bullying on the playground.
This year a further £750,000 was announced for the Diana Award, the Anti-Bullying Alliance and the Anne Frank Trust to help schools build relationships between pupils, increase resilience and tackle bullying online and in person.
We can all do our bit to stamp out bullying and help those feeling down jump back up again. So grab some crazy socks today and celebrate variety!
Kids: www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk
Teachers & Parents: www.educateagainsthate.com
