6 June 2011
To mark this year’s Anti-Bullying Week, which takes place
between 14-18 November, The Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA), part of
leading children’s charity the National Children’s Bureau, is
launching a competition to encourage schools to start thinking
about the issues ahead of time.
This year’s theme ‘Stop and think – words can hurt’ aims to get
everyone involved in preventing verbal bullying. ABA wants to
challenge name-calling and the casual use of derogatory language in
our schools and communities, which can create an environment in
which bullying can flourish.
ABA which runs Anti-Bullying Week, is partnering with
Stand Tall: A Rock
Musical, which encourages audiences to look at bullying in a
different light, to give all primary and secondary schools in
England the chance to take part in the Anti-Bullying Week 2011
schools competition.
Supported by best selling author Philip Pullman, the competition
is quick and easy to do. Schools vote for a song from the show that
they think best gets across an anti-bullying message. Pullman says,
‘A great idea, a wonderful and terrific show…A project to counter
bullying with music is a winner.’
Sue Steel, National Manager of ABA at the National Children’s
Bureau, said: ‘Anti-Bullying Week is a huge fixture in the school
calendar but bullying can happen all year round. Our competition
will get pupils actively involved right now.
Sue continued: ‘We want to help create an environment where
demeaning and hurtful language is never tolerated. We are
encouraging schools to highlight the damage that verbal bullying
can do and to make clear what language is and isn’t
acceptable.”
The competition winners will get a visit from the show’s
producers to work with pupils to record the winning track. The
deadline for entries is 5pm Friday 29th July 2011.
To enter the competition visit
www.anti-bullyingalliace.org.uk
Ends
Notes for editors:
1. The Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) the national authority on
anti-bullying work, is a unique organisation of over 100 members
from the voluntary, public and private sectors, who work together
to reduce bullying and create safer environments in which children
and young people can live, grow, play and learn. ABA is based at
NCB. For more information visit
www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk
2. The Anti-Bullying Alliance Anti-Bullying Week 2011 takes
place 14-18 November. This year’s campaign is the eighth in
England, and the theme is ‘Stop and think – words can hurt.’ For
more information on how you can get involved in Anti-Bullying Week
2011 visit www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk
3. Stand Tall: A Rock Musical is produced by Shrill Productions.
For more information on the show visit
http://www.shrillproductions.co.uk
4. The National Children’s Bureau’s (NCB) mission is to advance
the well-being of all children and young people across every aspect
of their lives. As the leading national charity which supports
children, young people and families, and those who work with them,
across England and Northern Ireland, we focus on identifying and
communicating high impact, community and family-centred solutions.
We work with organisations from across the voluntary, statutory and
private sectors through our membership scheme, and through the
sector-led specialist networks and partnership programmes that
operate under our charitable status. For further information, visit
www.ncb.org.uk
For further information on ABA and Anti-Bullying Week 2011
please contact: Sue Steel, ssteel@ncb.org.uk
For further enquiries, contact the NCB Media Office,
media@ncb.org.uk or 020 7843 6045