CHESHIRE'S police and crime commissioner David Keane wants young people who have been bullied to tell their story to help improve support services.

It’s part of anti-bullying commission which is bringing together a group of community representatives to look into incidents of bullying both on and offline.

The commissioner launched the commission earlier this year to tackle the issue of bullying which he says is 'an epidemic amongst all generations on our society'.

Now, he’s opening a call for evidence which will travel across the county giving local people the opportunity to share their experiences of bullying.

The commissioner wants to capture as many views as possible during the call for evidence.

The first stage, which will collect evidence until November before reporting in early 2020, will focus on giving young people under 25 a voice.

The second and third stages will explore workplace bullying and the targeting of older people.

It will not only ask people about their experiences at the time of being bullied but also what support services they would like to see in place to support future victims of bullying.

This will be used to develop recommendations for police, educators and elected representatives to consider how they can provide more protection for victims.

PCC David Keane said: “We see the devastating effects bullying can have on the self-esteem or confidence of young people every day. In some cases it’s even led to suicide or self-harm.

"With the advent of cyber-bullying, bullying can now be relentless with no respite for its victims.

“We need to do more to protect young people but first we need to understand what support mechanisms need to be in place.

“What better way to do this than speaking to those who have lived experiences of bullying, whether that be someone who’s been bullied themselves or a parent or guardian who has watched their child suffer at the hands of bullies.”

The commissioner and his team will hold community engagement sessions across Cheshire to capture people’s experiences both on and off camera. Some of the footage captured will be used in a documentary centred on giving a realistic portrayal of the effects of bullying on our communities.

The call for evidence will travel to locations across the county between now and the end of November.

  • Tuesday, August 13 – Warrington VPX, Victoria Park, Warrington, 11am-4pm
  • Wednesday, August 14 – Crewe Party in the Park, Pebblebrook Park, Crewe – 10am-4pm
  • Thursday, August 15 – Widnes VPX, Victoria Park, Widnes, 10am-4pm
  • Thursday, August 22– Widnes Library, Victoria Square, Widnes, 10.30am-2.30pm
  • Thursday, August 29 – Sandbach Market, High Street, Sandbach, 9am-4p

There’s also the opportunity for under 25s to tell their story online by

clicking here

.