Pembroke Street Pastors have issued sound advice for students going back to school this week.
Posted on their Facebook page this morning was the following message, meant for all students returning.
“If you see any of the following:
- another student struggling to make friends
- another student being picked on
- a student who is new, shy, or not with the “in crowd”
- a student who is eating lunch alone
Be a Leader! Be a Warrior!
Say hi, Smile at them. Ask if you can sit with them. Include them. You never know what that person is facing inside or outside school.“
Trained volunteers from local churches who care about their community, Pembroke Street Pastors are on patrol on Saturday evenings in the town, whatever the weather, offering support and a welcome for a chat.
With their latest post, the Street Pastors have recognised that not all students find it easy returning to the social and academic demands of a school setting, with loneliness, bullying and work pressure all taking their toll.
We wish all students well in their new terms - especially as a heatwave inconsiderately has hit the county just as schools go back - and encourage them all to take the advice above: to be a leader, be a warrior, and look out for anyone who needs a helping hand.