the group taking part. “A lot ofpeople our age were really intoMcat a while back, and Valiumand even cocaine.

“They get into different thingsthrough older brothers or sisters,or boyfriends. All these thingshave risks attached, and wewant to get the message acrossthat help is there if you need it. “I think they’ve chosen us todeliver this campaign becauseteenagers are more likely tolisten to people their own age.”

Britain ranks poorlyResearch shows teenage girls inBritain rank poorly onnumerous counts. When theOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and Developmentcompared 30 industrialisedcountries it found that riskybehaviour – described as acombination of drinking,smoking and teenage pregnancy– was more acute here than inany of the other nations apartfrom Turkey and Mexico.

The UK had the fourth highestteen pregnancy rate afterMexico, Turkey and the US,with more than 23 girls per1,000 giving birth in 2005.

At York High School, about 10

4 THE BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH · 22-28 NOVEMBER 2010

LOCAL FEATURE

news

Teenagers take up thecamera for risk assessmentA pregnant teenager with ablack eye and tear-stained faceis shoved and yelled at by herpossessive older boyfriend,while she wonders whether ornot to leave him.

This was one of the scenariosplayed out for the camera in themaking of a preventativecampaign on risky behaviour,led by teenage girls in York.

Over recent months, a groupof 14-15 year old schoolgirls hasworked with professional artistsand filmmakers to develop ideasfor the project, which tackles anumber of themes by drawingon the experiences of their peergroup. Once production is over,a series of films created by thegirls will launch online and beshared with schools in the city.

Boredom and risksIssues covered include drink,drugs, legal highs, pregnancy,domestic violence, self-harmand cyber bullying. The linkbetween boredom and riskybehaviour is examined, as is theimportance of positive choices.

“Most of my friends smokecigrarettes, have tried cannabisand drink alcohol regularly,”says Lauren Leyland, 14, one of

girls were invited to take part.They spent some evenings andtheir October half term comingup with and shooting thecampaign. Their project, called I Wunt Dare, was funded by

York Youth Community ActionPilot and delivered by the artsenterprise Inspired Youth.

Peer pressureKeighley Greenwood, 14, whoplayed the pregnant domesticabuse victim, said the processhad made her think more deeplyabout her own behaviour.

“We want to say to youngpeople that you don’t have totake drugs to fit in, and thatyour friends should respect youfor who you are – not for whatyou do,” she said.

“Doing this project has mademe think about how I want toget my GCSEs and go to college.I also don’t think I’ll be sayingto people what I used to say tothem as I’d hate to think I’dbullied someone enough tomake them harm themselves.

“It’s made me think aboutrelationships as well. If aboyfriend wanted to lookthrough my phone I think I’dleave him for not trusting me.

“It’s made me think it’s betterto stay with someone my age,not someone who’s years older.”

CIARA LEEMING

A community initiative isrunning free workshops in theNorth West on forced marriageand honour killings afterreceiving funding from theForced Marriage Unit.

Practical Solutions’workshops are aimed atcommunities, young people andpractitioners such as socialworkers, nurses, teachers anddomestic abuse workers.

They aim to raise awarenessof forced marriage and provideinformation on how to get help.

“Forced marriage is domesticabuse,” said Mussurut Zia,founder of Practical Solutions.“As well as an abuse of humanrights often it is child abuse, orabuse of a vulnerable adult.”

“We use the workshops to

look at the cultural, faith andlegal perspective of forcedmarriage and we offer advice onhow to recognise indicators. Wealso discuss the concept ofhonour, and those responsiblefor upholding honour.”

Zia described the case ofSaniya and Rupali, two sistersborn in the UK, aged 15 and 16.They were taken to theirparents’ country of origin andforced into marriage with twobrothers who were members ofthe extended family.

Both girls returned pregnantto the UK five months after themarriages. A few months laterboth husbands joined theirwives and began to abuse themphysically, sexually andpsychologically.

Forced marriages in c

Keighley Greenwood. Photo: Ciara Leeming

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After the birth of her daughterSaniya sought assistance toescape from her husband. Shefound little help but managed toobtain a divorce, which led toher being ostracised from herfamily and community.

Rupali stayed with herhusband and had another twochildren. But the abusecontinued and she was blamedfor her sister’s failed marriage.

To keep the peace Rupaliagreed to visit her parents inlaw. On arrival her passport,along with those of her children,were taken from her, and shewas forbidden to leave thehouse alone or to make phonecalls to her family.

Saniya contacted PracticalSolutions for help. It made

contact with Rupali through theBritish Consulate, whichdiscovered that a kidnappingwas planned for Rupali that wasto end with her death.

The British Consulateremoved Rupali and herchildren and repatriated them tothe UK. With the help ofPractical Solutions they weretaken to a place of safety, andhelped to rebuild their lives.

Zia said: “Some people makea decision to leave the situationwithout having correctinformation about domesticabuse, which means that theyalso leave their families,communities and all that isfamiliar and safe.”

KELLY MATTISON

Manchester has developedBritain’s first co-operativescheme to help communitieswork together to save energyand costs. Members of theCarbon Co-op, which workswith communities across thecity, benefit from bulk-buyingenergy saving products such aslightbulbs and double glazing.

The Co-op also offersfinancial advice to members andhas launched a communityshare scheme in which peoplecan see a return on theirinvestments and make eco-improvements in their homes.

Bills reducedThere are currently around 400members of the Carbon Co-opand organisers hope that asnumbers grow they will havemore buying power to helpdrive down prices of carbon-saving products for theirmembers, which will in turn cutbills and emissions.

Project manager JonathanAtkinson said the concept wasformed in the district of Hulme,

522-28 NOVEMBER 2010 · THE BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH

PARK LIFEA Manchester park is one of theonly North West recipients of majorgrants from Groundwork UK and theBig Lottery Fund’s CommunitySpaces programme after volunteerssuccessfully bid for £100,000. TheChorlton Park Regeneration Group’sbid means new play equipment forchildren in the area including a zipwire, a large tube slide, trampolinesand swings and the group hopes itssuccess will be an inspiration toother groups wanting to apply forcommunity funds.

MERSEY MISERYThe River Mersey has been votedthe dirtiest river in the north andthird worst in the country in anonline poll by the RSPB, WWF andthe Angling Trust. The RiverThames was voted the least cleanin England and Wales with theRiver Wye coming top. But theThames was also voted secondbest. More than £1 billion hasbeen spent in the last 25 yearscleaning up the Mersey.

IT’S A GASA company that believes Lancashirecould provide a tenth of the UK’sgas supply has been givenpermission to begin exploratorydrilling near Blackpool. CuadrillaResources is to drill for gas trapped10,000 feet below the surface in theBowland shale, which runs fromPendle Hill near Preston to the IrishSea. Shale gas has previously beentoo expensive to extract but thecompany believes new technologymakes it more cost-effective.Cuadrilla will construct a 29 metrehigh drilling platform in a field atWestby, east of Blackpool,

ON YOUR BIKEAnyone in the area who has aninterest in cycling issues is invitedto join North East Lincolnshire’scycle forum. People who wouldlike to be part of the forum cancontact transportation officers viaemail at pedalandstride@nelincs.gov.uk or by telephone on01472 324489. Meetings takeplace once a quarter at venuesacross the county and the forumalso has a website –www.pedalandstride.com.

Got a story? Contact 0161 831 5563 or email: news@bigissuenorth.co.uk News in brief

Going green together

panels and micro-energysystems. If we work together it’scheaper and simpler.”

Share schemeThe Carbon Co-op was pilotedin Moss Side, where residentstook part in a series of events,received energy monitors andadvice. The projectdemonstrated that by working aspart of a co-op the communitycould drive down its ownenergy bills, with a knock-onbenefit for the environment.Several Moss Side residentshave now bought double glazedwindows and LED lightbulbsthrough the co-op.

The Carbon Co-op hopes tosupport renewable energyschemes across GreaterManchester. Communitiesinterested in developingrenewables and other energy-saving initiatives can attend itsworkshops, in association withlarge-scale financiers, to helpadvise on the best options.

The co-op’s community sharescheme is backed by thegovernment, and allowsinvestors to buy shares inrenewables schemes and receivediscounted electricity as well asreturns on the investment.Money raised by the investmentwill support energy-savingimprovements to shareholders’homes.

SARAH ROE

which already has a strongcommunity of people interestedin environmental issues, anduntil recently was representedby a Green Party councillor.

Atkinson said: “We saw thatthere was an opportunity for thecommunity to take charge of itsown energy supply. The ideawas to bring people together instreets and communities to bulkpurchase things like energymonitors, insulation, solar

community spotlight

Co-op members Judith and Andrew Leask at their eco-house in Trafford

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