Anti-Bullying Schools Project event at Liverpool Cathedral

ON Thursday, 17 November 2022 Knotty Ash Primary and Deaf Resource Base ran an inspirational event at Liverpool Cathedral, on Thursday, 17 November 2022, starting off the Region's National Anti-Bullying Week events. This national awareness program is coordinated across England and Wales by the National Children's Bureau's Anti Bullying Alliance  project. The National week started on Monday, 14 November 2022, with 'Odd Socks Day,' which sees each year adults and children wearing odd socks to celebrate what makes us all unique.

This years event in the Liverpool Cathedral, called the:- 'Anti-Bullying Schools Project 2022' was developed and spearheaded by Knotty Ash Primary and Deaf Resource Base (DRB). The event involve over 300 children and young people, who had learned 2 songs in British Sign Language (BSL), and performed them to a live audience at the Cathedral, supported by the Liverpool Signing  Choir. The idea was that it would empower those attending to stand together with others, from all walks of life, against bullying in all its forms.

The event also had Schools represented from as far away as:- Jersey, Northern Island and Yorkshire and of course across Merseyside and Liverpool City Region. Plus, also attending was Ms Lesley Martin-Wright JP DL, the current High Sheriff of Merseyside, along with the Mayors from the different Councils across the Liverpool Region. It even had the newly crowned Jessica Gagen, who has revealed that she had been bullied for her red hair at School. All the civic guests and Miss England 2022 helped to show the children that they can make a real difference if they help each other, with inspirational talks. The hope is that the children will take away from the event the knowledge that working together they can break down those destructive barriers that have such a negative impact that bullying has on so many lives.

A representative from Knotty Ash Primary told us that:- "We thought not enough was being done to highlight such an important taboo topic and so back in 2021 we decided to develop an Anti-Bullying Schools Project. It has lead us to hold this mazing event and highlight a problem that affects people of all ages. We would like to thank everyone who helped us and also to those who have told our Pupils their stories. We hope this event really did celebrate inclusion, and help our young people to embrace the many diverse, and multi faith communities that make up our society. Standing together and saying NO to bullying."

This is a list of all the Schools who had taken part in the event:- Rudston Primary School; Northway Primary School; Fairfield Primary School; Childwall Sports Academy Secondary; Pleasant Street; Plantation Primary; Phoenix Primary School; Sacred Heart Catholic Primary; St Michael's Primary School; St Austin's Catholic Primary School; Anfield Primary; Lipa Primary and Lipa Secondary.r