Respect ME tour has come to Tameside schools

THE Message Trust have returned to Tameside to deliver their Respect ME sessions to secondary schools in the borough to educate and inform young people about relationships and self-esteem (RSE).

Tameside Council’s Community Safety team invited The Message back to the borough after their successful No More Knives tour. This has been funded through the Community Safety Partnership.

The tour will visit Fairfield High School, St Thomas More RC College, Rayner Stephen’s High School, Alder Community High School, Hyde High School, Audenshaw School, Denton Community College, Great Ashton Academy, Copley Academy and Mossley Hollins High School.

Respect ME will provide a unique educational experience for the pupils, as it cares for the whole child, promotes a healthy sense of self, and positive mental health and emotional wellbeing.

With RSE, now being a compulsory part of secondary education the tour will assist schools in addressing the key concepts that all young people need to learn.

The key concepts include: families, respectful relationships (including friendships), being online and the media, being safe, and intimate and sexual relationships.

The aims of the sessions are to bring hope and self-worth to young people regardless of their background or context. To encourage positive relationships that promote respect for themselves and others.

The lessons will explore social influences and their impact on self-esteem and lifestyle choices, as well as, promoting healthy coping strategies for abusive behaviour, whilst helping build resilience.

The Message will also show young people how to equip and empower themselves with tools to stay safe online and how to represent themselves.

It will provide pupils with an opportunity to discuss tough topics in a safe and inclusive space, along with information on how to access further support.

Councillor Vimal Choksi, Tameside Council Executive Member for Towns and Communities, said: “It is brilliant how The Message is going to teach young people how to navigate the opportunities and risks of modern life, and provide them with practical tools, which they can apply to their life circumstances.

“Through this unique and complementary approach in educating young people we are providing them with the information they need to keep themselves safe whether that be, online, in relationships or in the community.”

For more information about Respect ME, click here.