Organised by the Anti-Bullying Alliance, the 2021 campaign has a theme of “One Kind Word”. The Alliance believes that kindness is more important today than it has ever been, with isolation during the coronavirus pandemic underlining how small acts of consideration can break down barriers and brighten the lives of people around us.
Getting involved is easy and throughout the week there are a range of activities that people can take part in – either online or at school, work or home. These include:
- Monday: Join thousands of schools and workplaces across the country on Odd Socks Day, donning odd socks and sharing images on social media with #OddSocksDay. You can also join in with the #AntiBullyingWeek hashtag party on social media.
- Tuesday: Share your real-life kindness stories on social media, using #OneKindWord, to show examples of kind acts you have experienced. Between 4.30pm and 5.30pm, there is a Twitter Talk @abaonline for teachers, exploring how to create kinder, anti-bullying schools.
- Wednesday: Take part in an online celebration event, between 4 to 5pm, with speakers highlighting the importance of Anti-Bullying Week and the need to spread the One Kind Word message. To sign up, visit One Kind Word.
- Thursday: Say thank you to the people and organisations who’ve shown you kindness on social media using #AntiBullyingWeek and #OneKindWord. There is also a Twitter Talk @abaonline between 8.30pm and 9.30pm exploring how to be an anti-bullying parent or carer.
- Friday: Share your anti-bullying pledges for the next 12 months, including what you will be doing in the year ahead to raise the issue of bullying.
Anti-Bullying Week will also see 16 schools in Wolverhampton receive Anti-Bullying Charter Status at a ceremony taking place at Molineux Stadium on Tuesday (16 November). The charter is given to schools and youth organisations which demonstrate commitment to preventing and dealing with bullying among young people, with 19 local schools being awarded Anti-Bullying Charter Status in 2020. Some of last year’s winners will also attend this year’s ceremony to be formally presented with their award.
Throughout the week, you can keep up to date with the campaign by following @HeadStartFM on Twitter and Facebook.
Councillor Beverley Momenabadi, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “Unfortunately bullying is still an issue that affects many young people and can have a huge impact on their emotional wellbeing and mental health.
“Therefore, it is as important than ever that we spread kindness and pull together to raise awareness of bullying and, vitally, prevent it from happening. I encourage all schools, community groups and individuals in Wolverhampton to take part in this fantastic campaign.”
To find out more about the national campaign, please visit Anti-Bullying Week.
