Peer Mentors adopt a creative approach to tackling bullying!
 
National charity the Mentoring & Befriending Foundation (MBF) will be touring a major young people’s art exhibition as part of this year’s Anti Bullying Week (16th – 20th November 2009).

Hundreds of young people (aged from 5-19) from schools across England are taking part in this unique national community art project where they will convey some hard-hitting anti-bullying messages through stunning, colourful images, words and patterns designed onto giant elephant sculptures (that stand as tall as some of the children!).  

The elephants unite school children across year groups and communities as they work together on designs that reflect how they hope to achieve a brighter future - without bullying.  The creative teams are being led by trained MBF peer mentors who - through this collaborative project - have opened up a forum for further debate on bullying in schools.  

Whilst the design of each elephant in the herd is quite unique, they all share one common characteristic as Year 6 pupil Malik from St Andrews CE Primary in Eccles explains  “elephants remind us to stand up to bullies because they stick by each other, stand strong and have a thick skin that helps keep out unkind words and actions.”

From19th October, the elephant’s names, the inspirations behind their designs and pictures will go live on this site. School children across the UK are then invited to vote for their favourite ones.  The elephant that receives the most votes will go into exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London for the whole of November while the rest of the herd go on a UK tour.

Creativity and Leadership Consultant Richard Gerver is a strong supporter of the initiative: “Teamwork, a sense of belonging and community are three of the great anchors that will help our children not only survive but thrive in the complexities of their futures. To see work of this nature being developed in our schools is hugely encouraging and deserves our full support. The act of creating, of co-creating something to improve the feel and climate of a community is a journey of real importance and one which offers real optimism in these quite complex times. To link the work with anti bullying and the promotion of positive relationships only adds to the project’s power and value. Long may the elephants roam!

Participating schools are all part of the National Peer Mentoring Anti Bullying pilot, currently running in 150 primary, secondary and special schools throughout England. These include:

Brady Primary School & The Chafford School Essex
Brookhill Leys Primary School, Nottinghamshire
Christ Church CE Middle School Staffordshire
Fair Furlong Primary School, Bristol
Preston Park Primary School Wembley
St. Andrew's CE Primary School, Greater Manchester
Yealmpstone Farm Primary School Plymouth
with
Featherstone Wood Primary, Herfordshire
Deer Park Primary, Derbyshire
Smitham Primary School and Nursery Surrey
Short Wood Primary, Shropshire

How Peer Mentors in schools can help tackle the bullies

While many schools in England already have effective peer mentoring and anti-bullying programmes in place, the national pilot has developed several models of peer mentoring as part of the Government's Anti-Bullying Strategy. Through guidance, training, resources and support, the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation (MBF), who are managing the two-year, DCSF-funded pilot, will help schools to set up and sustain effective peer mentoring programmes that specifically support anti-bullying strategies and that link with other initiatives such as SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) and the Healthy Schools Programme. The Mentoring and Befriending Foundation (MBF) is the national strategic, charitable body for mentoring and befriending offering support to practitioners and organisations throughout the country. MBF operates and awards the Approved Provider Standard, endorsed by the Cabinet Office and the DCSF.

To find out more about The MBF’s national primary peer mentor training and networking events visit here

Setting up and managing a successful Primary Peer Support Programme

There are two new MBF Primary Peer Mentor Training days in Manchester (18/11/09) and London (10/02/10) as below

Mentoring and Befriending Foundation Training Day - Manchester - 18/11/2009
http://www.mandbf.org.uk/news/eventinfo/article/3743/37/
MDDA, Lower Ground Floor, 117-119 Portland Street, Manchester, M1 6ED

Mentoring and Befriending Foundation Training Day - London - 10/02/2010
http://www.mandbf.org.uk/news/eventinfo/article/4001/37/
NCVO, Regent's Wharf, 8 All Saints Street, London, N1 9RL

MBF national conference 4 November 2009 (London) -  One-to-one support: Developing the agenda for mentoring and befriending in partnership with the Prime Minister’s Council on Social Action
Bringing together over 250 policy makers, funders and commissioners with mentoring and befriending leaders and practitioners to discuss early intervention strategies
Speakers:  Angela Smith MP, Minister for  the Third Sector , Dawn Primarolo MP, Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families (video message), Antony Hughes, Deputy Director, DCSF, Lelsey Heale, Director of Children’s Services, Bracknell Forest Borough Council, Chester Morrison, Head of Business Unit, Integrated Youth and Play, Liverpool City Council
Interactive workshops designed to facilitate discussion and debate between the key seminar experts and the audience.  Delegate prices start from £130. Book online at www.mandbf.org.uk

And if any school would like to order an elephant and join the herd at their own school, they can email Cath Mercer for details on cathm.mercer@btinternet.com