Subscribe to the RSS feedInterviews about help at school for pupils who have been made homeless
Every day 60 children are made homeless in Scotland.
Enquire had a big event in Hamilton this week for teachers, parents, politicians and charities. Being homeless was one of the issues we looked at.
We invited a youth group from Shelter to share their views at the event by making art and recording interviews. The youth group told us about the issues for children and young people who have been made homeless. They also gave their ideas for extra help that might make school easier for them.
Did you know ….
Children who have been homeless or who live in bad housing are:
- Twice as likely as others to leave school without qualifications
- Twice as likely as others to suffer persistent bullying
- 5 times as likely to lack a quiet space to do homework
- More likely to run away from home.
To find out more, listen to the 4 minute interview with the Shelter youth group here.
If you prefer, you can also read a transcript of the interview instead of listening to it. Continue reading this entry »
Cool art made for Enquire by children at Shelter
Epilepsy Scotland youth group mural
How cool is this mural? Thank you to Epilepsy Scotland for sending it in.
Fame! Get your art put online
Howdy blog readers,
Enquire have got a cool new online gallery where you can upload your photos and pictures. I am really looking forward to hearing from you budding artists out there. We’ve already had some fab pictures sent in by Anna, a girl who recently won an art competition. The gallery is called Your Views – check it out here.
It’s really important when you’re deciding which photos to send in to think about how to stay safe online. One tip is to only show photos that you are happy for anyone to see now and in the future. For other tips, see Enquire’s webpage on how to be safe online.
The Scottish Government have got a new competition about staying safe online. They’re offering a fancy video camera to the winner, and the chance to have art shown to people all over Scotland. To enter the competition you need to create an artwork like a poster, do some creative writing, or come up with a dance or a film about staying safe online. You can find out more about how to enter the competition here.
Last but not least, here’s an idea for a photo you could upload to the Enquire gallery. Download our trusty friend Zod and take a photo with him, Your challenge if you chose to accept it is to try and strut your stuff more than this young lady in the photo.
Interview with Keith Gray, winner of Royal Mail Scottish Children’s Book Awards
Last week Enquire hung out with Keith Gray, the author whose book Ostrich Boys recently won the Royal Mail Scottish Children’s Book Awards.
The book is about 3 teenage lads whose friend Ross has died in a traffic accident. Ross had told his friends that he always wanted to go to a village by the sea in Scotland which is also called Ross. So after the funeral, the boys decide to steal his ashes and make an incredible journey 261 miles from their home in England to the village of Ross.
It is so upsetting when someone you care about dies. You will be feeling very sad and it may take some time to get over their death. You may find it hard to keep up with your school work during this time. It’s important that your teachers know what has happened, so they can be understanding and give you extra help if you need it. As Keith Gray says in his interview – talking about how you feel can really help.
Have a listen to the interview with Keith Gray here. As well as having great advice, you’ll also find out what Keith’s school was like, where he gets his ideas for his books, and his ambitions to be a magician or rock star. You can also listen to Keith reading from his book Ostrich Boys here, at a moment when the boys are chatting about cool stuff they’d like to do before they die.
If you are finding it hard to talk to your friends, family and teachers, remember you can talk to Childline about how you feel by calling 0800 11 11.
You can also call or email Enquire if you want advice about people who may be able to help you in and out of school 0845 123 2303 info@enquire.org.uk
To find out more about Keith Gray, check out his website here.
And finally… here’s a transcript of the interview if you want to read what was said rather than listening to it. Continue reading this entry »
New friend
New school
This is a drawing that someone sent in
The one in which Enquire enjoys festive cheer with the LGBT Youth Council
Dear blog readers
Last Friday I made my merry way through snow, ice and Christmas shoppers to visit the LGBT National Youth Council and interview some of its members.
The Council is a network of young people aged 13-26 from across Scotland. Its members are elected to represent lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) young people from their local LGBT youth group or local area. The Council meets 4 times a year at National Gatherings in different parts of Scotland.
To find out more, have a listen to the interview. You’ll hear about the Council’s recent trip to Parliament and their latest campaign on equal marriage rights for everyone. We also talked about the key issues for LGBT young people at school and with their families. The group came up with some top advice for LGBT young people having a hard time, well worth a listen…
Sadly, one of the biggest problems we talked about was homophobic bullying. If you are being bullied, it is really important to tell someone. No one should have to put up with bullying – it’s your right to NOT be bullied.
If you don’t want to talk to your teachers or parents, you could get in touch with LGBT Youth. They can give you advice and support and tell you about events and local youth clubs you could go to. You can text them on 0778 148 17 88 or email info@lgbtyouth.org.uk
Another option would be to call Child Line – 0800 1111 – Open 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week.
If you want to get involved in the LGBT Youth Council, check out their website.
You can also have your say on their bebo page.
A big thank you to Jan, Kelly Ann, Jack, Maxwell, Lyndsey and Steph for taking part in the interview.
Merry Christmas everyone!
And finally… here’s the a transcript of the interview if you want to read what was said instead of listening to it. Continue reading this entry »
The smallest Christmas tree in the world
Dear blog readers
We are feeling festive in the Enquire office after our Christmas party yesterday. I was going to share some of the jokes from our crackers but they were just too bad!
We think we may possibly have the world’s smallest Christmas tree in our office. It doesn’t even reach up to our knees!
Maybe next year we can get one as big as this tree instead…
Biggest Christmas tree in Europe
Well, anyway…. Everyone at Enquire wishes you a very merry Christmas. Have a good break from school and enjoy all the festivities.
Being bullied? Check out this You Tube film
Dear blog readers
How are you? Starting to get in the festive spirit?
This week I watched this awesome film about bullying. It was made by pupils at John Ogilvie High School and it was one of the winners of Scotland’s Anti-Bullying Week competition. The sound track and acting are great. And its got some really good tips for what to do if you are being bullied and how to get extra help at school.
Congratulations from Enquire to the budding film-makers who made it.