A student from the University of Gloucestershire is aiming to launch a new Social Enterprise that will raise awareness of the causes and effects of cyber bullying.
Carney Bonner will extend his campaign in opening days at events in Cheltenham and London, which will feature guest speakers, including Alex Chalk MP.
As well as personal stories from cases he has been involved in, the launch day will offer locals a chance to see the advice service Carney offers, which will include a look at the independent support groups for specialist cases.
The 22-year-old was appointed as a UK Youth Ambassador earlier this year, and has since carried out a number of workshops in local schools in which pupils engaged with his personal story.
Having been a victim of online bullying in his youth, Carney has experienced how sheltered life can be on a first-hand basis, and took inspiration from the support he received following a sever overdose at the age of 15.
And since establishing his own charity, the Carney Charles Foundation, the support network has gone from strength to strength, with the launch of this social enterprise in January being the next big step.
Despite the difficulties mental health support has faced through extensive government cut, Carney believes there is all the more reason to generate events like this, which are being funded by mobile network provider, Vodafone.
Whilst working alongside national charity, Beat Bullies, he believes that working with the bully is just as important as the victim as they too are unaware of the repercussions their actions have on others.
But with the radical growth in social media interaction, younger people are at risk of being involved with this sort of issue and creating a Social Enterprise for the problem is one of the best ways forward, the full-time student believes.
We will concentrate on ensuring cyber safety is at the full-front of young peoples minds when going online, and parents need to be aware of the surroundings their children are at risk of.
However, at the moment we are still very old fashioned in supporting these situations, and this project is designed to give confidence to victims on what they can do to prevent stories like mine repeating itself.
The workshops will look at what you can do if you think you’re a victim, and how privacy settings on social media can prevent the cause earlier in the process.
Carney is scheduled to launch the campaign in the New Year on January 15th, with the first of two launches being featured in Cheltenham, his local residence whilst studying full-time at the University of Gloucestershire.
He will then generate support from his contacts in London whilst launching the second event day, which is yet to be confirmed but will feature several members of parliament, following his heavy involvement in Westminster since becoming a UK Youth Ambassador.
Full details of Carney’s story can be found on his website, which you can visit on this link.