Teenage anti-bullying ambassador looks ahead to new year
AN 18-year old entrepreneur is looking ahead to another successful year in his efforts to tackle bullying.
Keiran O’Toole, of Allaway Avenue, Paulsgrove, has spent the last year working tirelessly to make schools a safer place by using his business, Rock Clothing, to support their very own anti-bullying movement.
After the success of the many workshops and events in the last year, hosted by Rock Clothing, Keiran and his business are looking to kick off the year by hosting Portsmouth’s biggest Anti-Bullying conference on January 22 2019 at the Guildhall.
At the first of the annual conferences, in January 2018, a whopping 700 students attended and had an action-packed day including seminars, dance performances and table activities as the pupils learned how to tackle bullying in primary schools.
Despite the success, Keiran remains humble. After winning the prestigious Diana Award in July, he said: “This award is not just for me.
“It’s for the people who have supported us, sponsored us and mentored us.”
In the last academic year, Rock Clothing has educated around 3,000 primary school students and aims to influence even more between now and August.
Keiran’s personal struggles shaped him into the ambassador he is today. After experiencing bullying at school, he says that he “didn’t know who to talk to” so created this organisation to give young people a place to share their feelings.
Rock Clothing have created an anti-bullying school programme where Keiran and the organisation visit schools to do activities with students.
A week-long training residential is also offered where pupils take part in team exercises and become ambassadors themselves.
