Derry people of all ages line up to ‘Keep it Positive’
People of all ages have lined up to post messages to family and friends on a new Facebook page set up to raise awareness of cyber-bullying.
The ‘Keep it Positive’ event at Quayside Shopping Centre in Derry/Londonderry was a resounding success, with dozens of people writing messages and getting their photos taken.
The event was run as part of Anti-Bullying Week which is focusing this year on how young people communicate with each other through social media. It was organised by the Northern Ireland Youth Forum and Bytes Project and supported by the Champions 4 Change Programme, which is funded by the Big Lottery.
Susan Logue, Youth Development Officer of the Foyle Rainbow Project, which manned the table throughout the event, said she was surprised by the numbers of older people who wanted to post positive messages on the site. “The response was excellent. We were approached by lots of young people but one thing we didn’t expect was the numbers of older people who wanted to put up a message to their friends and members of their family,” she said.
Joe Hamill from the Northern Ireland Youth Forum said: “The event went exceptionally well with many young people from North West Regional College getting involved. During the day lots of older people approached us to ask what it was about and when we explained that it was to highlight Anti-bullying week they wanted to get involved as well.”
The Facebook Page was originally intended to last during Anti-bullying week (November 18-22) but Susan added that if people continue to post messages and like the page, they will keep it going. “We have been surprised by the numbers who have already liked the page. It has really seemed to capture people’s imagination,” she added.
You can still upload pictures and messages on the ‘Keep it Positive Page’ go to Keep it Positive
