UK Enterprise Awards 2019

19 | SME NEWS - UK Enterprise Awards 2019 As she looks to the future Linda is confident that BulliesOut can achieve even greater success for an even wider variety of organisations and service users, as she proudly concludes. “Moving forward, we have a number of exciting developments on the cards for BulliesOut. Among these is the development of an anti- bullying award to recognise schools who are working hard to deal with bullying. We would also like to take our e-mentoring to another level and develop a live chat service. Another ongoing focus will be the development of an anti-bullying ambassador training pack for the workplace. Alongside these new opportunities, we are also keen to enhance our previous projects and build upon their success. For example, last year we partnered with a school in Dubai and they are now using many of our publications in one of their schools. This is at no cost to BulliesOut as the school is printing the publications and all copyright documents have been signed. We would like to expand on this and spread to additional schools and areas as we do receive a number of enquiries from other countries. “Overall, these new projects will all help BulliesOut to achieve even greater success and work towards our mission. Through our work we have already supported so many communities and individuals, and we are proud to be continuing this in the future.” Company: BulliesOut Name: Linda James MBE Address: T109 Titan House, Cardiff Bay Business Centre, Lewis Road, Cardiff CF24 5BS Telephone Number: 029 2049 2169 Web Address: www.bulliesout.com Apr19296 BulliesOut Best Anti-Bullying NPO 2019 – UK & Best Secondary Education Peer Monitoring Programme 2019: Peer2Peer Through the use of innovative, interactive workshops and training programmes, BulliesOut draws on the organisation’s experience, energy and passion to focus on awareness, prevention, building empathy and positive peer relationships, all of which are crucial in creating a nurturing environment in which young people and staff can thrive. We caught up with Linda James MBE to find out more about the vital work the organisation undertakes. Established in May 2006, BulliesOut is now one of the UK’s most dedicated and ambitious anti- bullying charities. The organisation’s award-winning work is delivered across the UK and each year, through its work with individuals, schools, youth, community settings and the workplace, the organisation provides education, training and support to thousands of people affected by bullying. Linda explores these services in more detail in her opening comments. “Children and young people who are bullied or bullying need support and specific, practical tools to move beyond the position they find themselves in. BulliesOut is a time-limited, solution focused anti-bullying service which provides just that. Our work is vitally important because, whilst bullying is often talked about, it requires active work to ensure that it is reduced, and its impact lessened. As such, our mission here at BulliesOut is to support individuals, schools, youth and community settings and the workplace through positive and innovative anti-bullying programmes and to empower individuals to achieve their full potential. “Drawing on the vast experience of our team, BulliesOut provides unique and interactive training courses for youth, parents, education professionals and the workplace. Our training can be delivered in-house and we also run open courses. We tailor our training so that it meets the exact needs of the organisations we are working with. Developing a fuller awareness of how bullying can manifest, how it can be prevented and how it should be dealt with, will help both sufferers and perpetrators disengage from the bullying cycle.” Offering a truly unique solution, BulliesOut provides bespoke services to each organisation it supports, as Linda highlights. “Unlike many other anti-bullying charities and outreach programmes, BulliesOut delivers a more personal service. We take the time to find out exactly what support our beneficiaries need and although we have a series of workshops and training programmes that cover a range of anti-bullying themes, we also tailor our sessions to ensure we cover the needs of our beneficiaries. “Seeking to make life better for everyone affected by bullying, we work to engage, empower and inspire change. Through our work we make a difference. By developing a positive ethos across a whole school/organisation community, we can create an environment that meets the emotional, academic and social needs of pupils and staff. Creating an anti-bullying and respectful ethos is a powerful way to inspire change.” Operating within the not-for-profit space, BulliesOut faces many challenges, including the issue of funding. However, as Linda showcases, by offering compassionate, vital services her organisation has been fortunate enough to attract and retain a number of benefactors who have helped drive it to success. “Whilst funding is always a challenge, BulliesOut has developed and grown at an extremely high rate, with our work and reputation being more and more widely recognised. For us, everything starts with our beneficiaries. We have established direct, long-term relationships with hundreds of individuals, schools, youth and community settings across the UK. “These relationships give us a deep understanding of bullying trends and what is needed and enables us to stay focused on providing the services that best meet their needs. As we understand our beneficiaries, we know that the main reason they come to BulliesOut and then stay with us, is for our professionalism, empathy, understanding and experience, and as a result these remain central to our ethos.”