FCJ students launch ISPCC’s anti-bullying shield initiative
FCJ secondary school students launched the ISPCC Shield campaign recently to raise awareness of bullying.
The ISPCC launched its 2016 Shield Campaign recently raising awareness of the need to Stand Up Against Bullying, and asked the public to support the campaign by buying a bangle in Penneys’ stores nationwide. Last year, the bangles raised over €36,000 for the Shield Anti-Bullying programme.
FCJ Bunclody, the first school in the county to receive a Shield Flag, launched the ISPCC Shield bangle in the Wexford recently. They are hoping to encourage other schools in the area to sign up to the Shield programme which they have completed.
This year, you can support this campaign by simply purchasing a Shield bangle in Penneys in Wexford. The ISPCC bangle features the shield pendant with a bangle for women and a band for men, both featuring the blue Shield colour. The bangles cost just €2.50 and you can also buy Shield pins, which cost €2, at all Penneys outlets nationwide. All profits will be donated to the ISPCC Shield programme.
IPSCC Chief Executive Grainia Long said: ‘In 2015, 7,048 contacts were made to Childline about bullying. The young people we work with in our mentoring and emotional and behavioural support services in the community also bring up bullying as a key issue for them.* The Shield Programme is available to schools, clubs and other groups working with young people, with a range of supports to help them to tackle and prevent bullying – Shield My School Toolkit, Shield My Club Toolkit, Shield Flag and the Shield Youth Award; all developed by the ISPCC to support our communities.’
All schools, clubs and early years services who wish to strengthen their preventative approach to bullying can find out more about the ISPCC’s Anti-Bullying Shield Campaign at ispcc.ie/shield.
For more information on the Shield programme, you can contact National Anti-Bullying Coordinator Sinead McKee on Sinead.McKee@ ispcc.ie or 0867226788.