Birmingham pupils get advice on bullying

Sep 23 2008 By Tony Collins, Birmingham Mail

SCHOOLS in Birmingham are being invited to a meeting aimed at launching a new anti-bullying scheme in the city.

A Birmingham training day is to be held on October 8 at the offices of voluntary sector support organisation BVSC in the Bullring shopping centre.

The Mentoring and Befriending Foundation said it received an overwhelming response from schools throughout England wishing to take part in the pilot.

A spokesman said they were extremely encouraged by the quality of the applications received and the wide variety of peer mentoring models being used and/or proposed to tackle bullying in schools.

Local schools are now required to attend an initial information event on October 8 in order to confirm their participation in the pilot. It starts at BVSC at 9.45am and finishes at 2.45pm, with lunch provided.

The spokesman said: “The aim of the day will be to raise schools’ understanding of anti bullying and anti bullying strategies and to introduce schools to their regional support agency.

“The day will outline the principals of running and successfully sustaining a peer mentoring programme and provide an opportunity to meet other schools taking part.”

For details visit www.peermentoring.org.uk or phone 0161 787 8600.