Local teen stands up against bullies

13-year-old Sam Riley

Queen’s Park, Heywood is host to a very special event, that is being staged to raise awareness of the problem of bullying and raise funds to create educational workshops and presentations to present to children and students across Greater Manchester.

The event is the brainchild of local teen, Emily Foster who back in 2009 went through the heart-breaking experience of finding that her best friend had taken his own life after being tormented by bullies.

From small beginnings Emily is now hoping that her new organisation ‘Brave the Bullies Together’ can make a real difference to local children.

Emily explained: “In November of last year I organised a fancy dress walk around Hollingworth Lake.

"The main aim of this was to celebrate his birthday and ensure that his memory was not forgotten but somebody raised the point that it might be a good idea to take the idea further.

"A couple of days before my last exam, another teenager that I knew of committed suicide as a result of bullying which gave me the solid realisation that Sam was not, and never will be the only one to suffer at the hands of these bullies.

"I did not want to just sit around and wait for more people to suffer and take their own lives so I decided to do my bit to try and solve this issue.”

There is a huge range of activities and games people can participate in, including children's trampolines, raffles and tombolas to win a range of prizes, bouncy castles and other inflatable activities, live performances and a DJ, face paints, penalty shoot out, wet sponge throw, balloon races, bucking bronco, go-kart races and food stalls. There will also be a raffle for two tickets to the Manchester United Vs. Wigan Athletic match at Old Trafford on the 15th September in the WediUK box. The winner will enjoy VIP treatment and a three-course meal along with the possibility of meeting Lee Martin and other players.

Emily added: “I want ‘Brave the Bullies Together’ to be as big as possible because with the workshops I aim to change people's perceptions of what defines ‘bullying’' because although many of Sam's friends knew that he was taunted, we did not understand the impacts of these taunts and how it may be affecting him despite how strong he appeared so that he could support the rest of his friends and remain a good friend no matter what.

"I believe that if more people knew the proper implications of their actions and the actions of others around them, and that bullying is not simply defined by the actions or words of a bully, but how that affects the person on the receiving end then people would be consider their actions more consciously and there may be less people who have to go through the things that Sam and many other people across the world have to go through.

"I also want to show people that even if they do not see someone cry there are still serious mental implications of bullying that can last with someone for their whole life.

"I know that as I am only a teenage girl based in Rochdale, it is unlikely that I will be able to change the attitudes of the whole world, but I know that if I manage to change one person's views or stop one person from being bullied then I know that Sam would be proud and I would be proud of myself.”

The event will run from 11:00am -4:30pm with free admission on Saturday 18 August Heywood’s Queen’s Park.