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Health & Wellbeing | Get involved! | Stay safe | For parents

Health & Wellbeing

Eco friendly sanitary protection

We know that some girls and mums like to be environmentally friendly. We're working on it but it will be some time yet! In the meantime, you might like to think about organic sanitary pads. There are even re-usable pads, which can be soaked and washed like any other laundry.

Appreciate yourself!

We want girls to like and appreciate themselves for who they are, how they look, and to be happy. Check out the Campaign for Real Beauty. Make sure you watch the videos. There are also some great quizzes for girls too.

HPV vaccination for cervical cancer

As from September 2008, all 12 to 13 year-old girls are being offered the new HPV vaccination against cervical cancer. Girls aged 13 to 18 will also be offered the vaccine over a three-year period following the start of the immunisation programme. This is an important issue that every girl and her parents or guardians must make. Information is available from your school nurse, your doctor's surgery, or the NHS:

Tel: 0845 602 3303
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/HPV-vaccination/Pages/Introduction.aspx
http://www.cervarix.co.uk/

Look after your skin

If you care about safe skincare products, check out "Oy!" which is Green People's teen range. They have no chemical nasties in them. They've also created a range of safe mineral-based make-up – which has to be a good thing!
www.organicyoung.com

Take care in the sun

The sun makes us feel good and keeps us healthy. It can also do damage if you don't take care. Start looking after your skin in the sun from an early age. For helpful advice, check out Shunburn, which was set up by the Teenage Cancer Trust:
www.shunburn.co.uk

Water on the go!

There's been a lot of talk about bottled water in the news. We're big fans of Sigg water bottles, which can be refilled again and again, saving loads of money, and they don't contaminate your water. They come in lots of fab designs, including some for teens:
www.sigg-online.com

Get involved!

Fantastic events and opportunities for fun, fitness, friendship and learning:

Girl Guiding
Girl Guiding is the largest youth organisation for girls in the UK, where you can have fun, fun, and more fun. Plus you learn amazing things and have fantastic experiences. The different groups are:

Rainbows – age 5 to 7
Brownies – age 7 to 10
Guides – age 10 to 14

www.girlguiding.org.uk

Scouts
Once upon time, the Scouts only accepted boys, but now lots of girls enjoy being Scouts too. The Scouts offer fantastic adventures and air/land/water activities, as well as technology, creativity and more. All children from age 6 upwards are welcome.
www.scouts.org.uk

St John's Ambulance – Badgers and Cadets
St John's Ambulance is not just about racing off to emergencies. They offer lots of fun learning opportunities, such as first aid, camping and the outdoors, creative activities, caring for pets, healthy lifestyle and lots more.
www.sja.org.uk/sja/young-people/badgers.aspx (ages 5 to 10)
www.sja.org.uk/sja/young-people/cadets.aspx (ages 10 to 17)

Youth Parliament
Do you see yourself as a politician of the future? Do you enjoy debating? Then maybe the UK Youth Parliament is for you! It's a place where young people can use their energy and passion to change the world for the better. Run by young people for young people, UKYP is for 11-18-year-olds who want to use their voice in creative ways to bring about social change.
www.ukyouthparliament.org.uk

The Youth of Today
The Youth of Today offers skills, opportunities and networking for young people aged 13–19. It's a fantastic organisation for teens who want to connect, make a positive impact and become leaders of change.
http://www.theyouthoftoday.org/

Stay safe

Do you know all the organisations that can help you to be safe, or who to call in an emergency?

Know your address!

Do you know your full address, post code, home telephone number and the mobile phone numbers of your parents or other grown-ups who care for you? If you're ever in an emergency, this is important information that you'll need to be able to give out, so start practising NOW if you don't know them well!

Remember: only give this information out in an emergency.

Also, talk through with your parents or carers about what you would do in a difficult situation. This helps you to be better prepared for emergencies, or when something unexpected happens.

Emergencies

Dial 999
This is only for true emergencies. You will be asked which service you need: AMBULANCE, POLICE, or FIRE SERVICE. You will also need to give them your address and phone numbers, which we talked about above.

Bullying & Child safety

If anyone hurts you, bullies you, or you are frightened, your parents are the first people you should talk to. However, if this is just too hard and you really need to tell someone, these are the best places to get help. You don't have to put up with bullying or abuse, wherever it is happening or whoever is doing it. Bullies are very unhappy people inside, but that doesn't make what they do okay, and you need help to deal with it:

Bullying UK
The UK's leading anti-bullying charity.
www.bullying.co.uk

CyberMentors
To help children who are being bullied online, or who just need a bit of help with any sort of problem and don't know what to do about it. The mentors are young people, many of whom have been bullied themselves, so they know exactly what you've been going through.
www.cybermentors.org.uk

ChildLine
The free confidential helpline for children and young people in the UK. You can talk to ChildLine about anything – no problem is too big or too small. If you are feeling scared or out of control or just want to talk to someone you can call them anytime.
www.childline.org.uk or telephone 0800 1111

Internet safety

Okay, so you love being online. Do you know how to keep yourself safe? Here's the best place to find out everything you and your parents need to know:
www.thinkuknow.co.uk

Getting part-time work to earn pocket money

There are strict laws about school-age children being "employed", or working. If you are thinking of earning some pocket money, the law explains:

• how old you must be before you can be employed
• what work you are allowed and not allowed to do
• the hours you are allowed to work.

Your parents can get up-to-date information from your Local Education Authority or your child's school.

For parents

Parenting information

The place for parents to find out about keeping children safe online is CEOP, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre.
www.ceop.gov.uk

Parentchannel.tv offers online videos for parents/carers on a wide range of topics concerning children aged 5-19. The service is funded by the Department for Education. Each clip is packed with impartial guidance on topics such as bullying, gangs, homework, sex, stress, depression, family life, discipline, drugs, peer pressure and many more.

www.parentchannel.tv