Press Releases
Derby Evening Telegraph, Jun 16, 2007
Magic will be used to get across the anti-bullying message at Derby schools.
Magician Sarah Lewis will give 16 performances at city schools from Monday to Friday.
The aim is to help infant and junior school pupils deal with bullying if it happens and prevent it happening in the first place.
The Rotherham entertainer will use comedy, magic and audience participation.
Councillor Sara Bolton, cabinet member for young people for Derby City Council, said: "The magic shows are an excellent way of getting the anti-bullying message across to younger children.
"This is the first visit to Derby by Sarah Lewis but she has given performances as the anti-bullying magician at many schools in the north west."
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Beating bullies . . . it's magic at High Oakham!
Mansfield Chad November 25 2009
PUPILS at High Oakham School in Mansfield took part in a week-long series of activities as part of Anti-Bullying week.
Pictured at one of the events is anti-bullying magician Sarah Lewis, who put across the ant-bullying messages through a series of tricks and 'magical messages'.
Monday 16th November 2009
Lancashire Evening Telegraph
A MAJOR crackdown was launched today to stamp out bullying in all schools in Blackburn and Darwen. Education bosses have spent two years drawing up a new anti-bullying strategy to tackle the problem.
They aim to end the misery of victims quicker and stop bullying before it starts through a host of initiatives including:
* Pupil-to-pupil massages where students will give hand massages in a bid to break down social and cultural barriers and aggression.
* Visits by anti-bullying magician Sarah Lewis to all primary schools to show children how to identify bullying behaviour and deal with it.
* Access to counselling website www.kooth.com for all secondary school pupils so they can get help and advice.
Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council Mike Lee said the authority had been prompted to act because young people themselves regularly raised concerns over the issue.
He said: “Anything that addresses bullying is a good idea. Pupils lives can be a nightmare as a result of bullying. “Anything that will help is worth doing to reduce cases of bullying.”
The 12 page document, endorsed by Blackburn with Darwen Children and Young People’s Trust, coincides with national anti-bullying week which also starts today. The strategy will use partnerships with organisations such as the police to protect children from bullying as well as providing support and training for schools.
It includes information about the warning signs of bullying for parents, which will be published in the form of leaflets, and the development of ‘bully free’ neighbourhoods through pilot projects. Every school in the borough has received a copy of the strategy and anti-bullying posters will be displayed
in schools and around both towns.
Robin Campbell, headteacher of Pleckgate High School Maths and Computing College, Blackburn, said: "Bullying is a major issue in schools but it also occurs away from schools and on the school bus or using the internet for example. “I know schools have really put in comprehensive strategies in place to deal
with bullying and we have our own strategies too. “We have a range of strategies. One is empathy where senior pupils go out into the school yard and they are there to approach if a child needs help as a first step. "We welcome a comprehensive strategy which can offer help and information about bullying during and
after school."
This year’s national anti-bullying week, which is being supported by the council, has the theme "Stay Safe in Cyberspace".
Schools are being provided with information about safer ways of working on the internet and how to counter cyber bullying. Councillor Chris Thayne, executive member for children's services at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "All children have the right to feel safe. Bullying, which undermines a young person's feeling of security is one of their top concerns. "The strategy will help schools, parents and young people in tackling bullying together. "By discussing with them how best we can deal with bullying there is a much better chance of ridding our schools of this barrier to the best educational experience.”
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Sarah the Anti-Bullying Magician visits Simms Cross Primary School, Widnes
IT'S MAGIC: Sarah the Anti-Bullying Magician was at Simms Cross Primary School last Thursday morning to talk to pupils and counterparts from St Bede's Catholic Primary School.
Pictured are children from both schools, who were joined by the High Sheriff of Cheshire William Ferguson, when they met Sarah.
Runcorn and Widnes weekly news
Nov 19 2009
Please note that due to safety reasons, all the faces of children in the press release pages have been removed
Tricks to beat the bullies
Illusionist Sarah Lewis taught children some magical tricks to help them avoid becoming a victim of bullying when she staged her show in their classroom yesterday.
The "anti bullying magician" uses slieght-of-hand and audience participation to help children understand and identify bullying behaviour and aims to give them the confidence to report it.
According to Rotherham council, which organised the show at St Anns Junior and Infant school, in the Clifton area of the town, the show emphasiises the fact that bullying is not acceptable. Sue Horton, anti bullying officer for the authority said the show was a great introduction to an anti-bullying week planned for November.
Yorkshire Post
18 October 2007
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