Stand Up, Rise Up: Anti-Bullying Week
Monday 10 November 2025
Last updated: Wednesday 08 October 2025
At Five Rivers we believe every young person deserves to be heard, which is why we encourage them to speak up and share their stories. As a Social Enterprise we reinvest a great deal of our resources into our Children’s Participation Program which works to uphold children’s rights, empower decision making, improve service delivery and advocate for better care services.
A year ago, young people at the national youth council spoke candidly about experiencing bullying which was rooted in both their care background and other factors related to their identity. We worked with ‘Big Award,’ who are an antibullying charity who helped us lead our antibullying training workshop. From here we created a film project campaign – which we hope shines a light on the problem. We hope our project offers the public an insight into impacts of bullying and offers guidance and support.
We asked representatives from each of our Fostering offices to join us – this was the start of a collaborative effort that would give our young people the opportunity to share their experiences and use their voices. Our work with a scriptwriter helped us shape their stories into a powerful narrative for our film.
The artwork, crafting characters and props were created by 14 young people in Dartmoor during a field trip. Their work really brought our vision and script to life.
In creating this video, our main objectives were to:
- increase awareness of the impact that bullying can have on individuals, especially those who may be perceived as different due to their appearance, communication style, or home environment.
- encourage empathy, compassion and understanding among peers to build a more inclusive and respectful community.
- provide practical strategies for students to prevent bullying and respond effectively when it occurs.
The script was developed based on the real-life experiences of young people.
The film features a dramatization of some of their stories, featuring audio they recorded themselves. During the recording session the atmosphere was buzzing with anticipation as the children waited for their chance to tell their story. They were filled with excitement, some nerves and lots of confidence which resulted in a final film they could be proud of.
“They kids nailed the narration of the script, on the 2nd take” said our Participation lead Olivia Doherty.
This project was spearheaded by young people with the purpose of helping their peers. It is a film initiated by children and young people to help raise awareness and inspire others to stand up and join the anti-bullying campaign.
This film explores a range of issues such as:
- bullying because of care experience
- bullying based on hair colour
- bullying because of being reserved or quiet.
In this project, we used the LUNDY model. This helped us create a safe and inclusive space. Here, everyone’s voices were heard and valued. This approach helped us stay on topic and focused. It allowed the process to create meaningful change in the viewer.
“Together, we can make a lasting impact and empower our young people to stand strong against bullying in all its forms. Stand Together and Rise together!” – Olivia Doherty, National Participation and Engagement Officer, Five Rivers Child Care
Five Rivers Child Care, our commitment remains unwavering – we will continue work hard to support every young person and children in our care.
The BIG Award Bullying Intervention Group is a nationally recognised accreditation for organisations that demonstrate excellence in bullying prevention and intervention. It’s designed to support and celebrate those who are committed to creating safe, inclusive environments for children and young people.
You can explore the full details and register at: bullyinginterventiongroup.org