youth live issue 6

Issue 6: SPRING 2009

Dedicated to getting YOUR voice heard

PLUS...OBAMA DRAMA...TICKET TOUTS...FACEBOOK...BAN BOREDOM...YOUNG DIABETICS...

ALL TOGETHER NOW!As thousands gatheron the Pier Head tocelebrate ‘08, we’re

PPP rrrooouuu ddd TTToooBBBeee SSScccooouuu ssseee

Youth Live is supported by::

The Editor writes...

Welcome to the first issue of theNew Year!

According to the Chinese calendar,2009 is the Year of the Ox, whichstands for a new beginning. This could

help us address some global issues and correct theterrible state that our planet is currently in. On the whole,it could be a year filled with new ideas and prospects.

2009 - ‘A year of opportunity’! Happy New Yearfrom all at Youth Live!

While some of you might be fretting over mountains ofschool work, or dwelling on those New Year’s resolutionsthat have already failed, there’s a brand new issue ofYouth Live here to brighten up those dark schoolmornings and banish those January blues. This issue’sanother packed one thanks to our team of talentedwriters, with everything from a round up of the past yearin Liverpool and why we should be so proud of our city, toa look at the recent US Presidential elections and acritique of the ever growing popularity of social networking.

Enjoy the issue - we’d love to hear your feedback!See you next term =]

Jemma Wark, 17

Live in this Issue...

BACKCHATLook at my Facebook - Am I Bovvered? 03

ON THE STREETDon’t Judge A Book By Its Cover 04

OUT & ABOUTJust The Ticket 05

IN THE NEWSCollision Course 06A Momentous Year 07

CAPITAL OF CULTUREProud To Be Scouse 08How Great Was ‘08? 09

BAN BOREDOMYour School Needs You 10Extended Fun 11

HEALTH & WELL-BEINGA Drop In The Ocean 12Check It Before You Wreck It 13

AIM HIGHERToo Cool For School? 14

YOUR SHOUTFeedback 15

Youth Live ISSUE 6: SPRING 2OO9

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We welcome constructive feedback, which may be included in afuture edition. Please email: [email protected] advertising or subscription enquiries please contact Richardon: 0151 702 6960 or email: [email protected]

Youth Live is published by Youth CommunicationsNetwork (YCN), a Community Interest Company (CIC). Thecompany exists to serve the community and its profits are reinvestedto develop its work rather than awarded to private shareholders.The views and opinions expressed in this publication are notnecessarily those of YCN’s Board of Directors, the editor, YCN’sjunior membership, or any individual sponsor or advertiser. Inclusionof advertisements does not imply endorsement by YCN.

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Providing Better Homes Building Better Lives

02 Issue 6 - Spring 2OO9 Youth Live

SOCIAL NETWORKING has become theultimate fashion accessory for everyonewho’s anyone. If you don’t have a

Facebook or a MySpace page then you’relabelled a social pariah.

These days comments, messages and bulletins areoutdated. Now you have to have THE latestapplication to be able to talk to your friends.Butlins stuff, Drinks for friends, Me to You stuff -the cycle of applications never ends. It comes to apoint where you’re find yourself hitting ‘Ignore’100 times a day to make people leave you alone!I for one have been hit by more than enough HTMLsnowballs and browser based sheep to last me alifetime, and those all came from my mum!

People love taking pictures of themselves, but whatthey love even more is to post these pictures forthe world to see. Vanity is a cruel thing, andpicture comments can be crueller.

Social networking is also a powerful weapon. Whensomeone has dumped you, there is no better wayto take your revenge than to blog about them.“My X BF i5 a cheat bbz”. What better way to slagsomeone off than to leave their friends commentsabout it?

So if, like me, you find yourself with hundreds ofapplications and notifications, comments andmessages, pokes and sheep, follow these topten tips on social networking survival:

The Dos and Don'ts of Social Networking by Dominic Boyle

� Don’t encourage people by adding their applications - they will get the message if you hit ‘Ignore’ enough.

� Never accept a friend request from your mum, she will only use this social network to bug you more than she already does.

� Don’t accept friend requests from your mum’s friends. They will leave embarrassing comments on all of your pictures.

� If you throw a sheep at somebody, prepare for a Britney Spears to the face.

� Just because you like seeing yourself naked in the mirror doesn’t mean everyone else does - keep your shirts on in those oh so snazzypictures you took of yourself holding the camera about three feet above your head.

� Despite what you might believe, that was not the real Miley Cyrus leaving you a comment, so please don’t blog about it.

� Hugh Jorgan is not an appropriate screen name, however it is hilarious.

� Your profile song should always reflect you… no more Rick Astley.

� Sadly it needs to be said…DON’T GIVE OUT YOUR PERSONAL DETAILS TO STRANGERS!

� Last but not least, chain mails are old - don’t post them just because they claim your love life will fail if you don’t… your love life will still be crappy at 3am tomorrow morning. �

LEFT: A Facebook application - about why we love applications!

Youth Live Issue 6 - Spring 2OO9 03

...BACKCHAT...BACKCHAT...BACKCHAT...BACKCHAT...BACKCHAT...BACKCHAT...BACKCHAT...BAC

look at my

Am I BOVVERED?


Providing Better Homes Building Better Lives

In the second of a series of articles about how homelessnessaffects young people, and the agencies that help them,ELEANOR DAVIES talks to two young people about their experiences.

...ON THE STREET...ON THE STREET...ON THE STREET...ON THE STREET...ON THE STREET...ON TH

WORTHLESS. LOW LIFE. GETTING NOWHERE. Is this what youthink when walking past a homeless person in the street? Mostpeople do - how would you feel if somebody felt that about you,when all you needed was a bit of help to get you going again?

It is estimated that 380,000 people are now homeless in the UK,and by 2020, that figure could rise to one million. When I spoketo John and Richard, two homeless young people, I began to seehow they really feel, and how they want to get their life back ontrack. John and Richard got help from the Young Person’sAdvisory Service (YPAS), just one of a number of organisationshelping young people, providing them a warm, welcoming place torelax, with internet access, and advice, support, counselling andgroup work around any issues they are dealing with.

John, 18, told me: ‘Without YPAS I would be a mess, there arereally friendly people and they are all willing to help me.’Richard, 19, added: ‘It helps you stay off the streets. It helps youget a job and you are treated nicely.’

From talking to John and Richard, I discovered that one reasonwhy people become homeless can be due to troubles, whether at

home or elsewhere. Quite often it isn’t the homeless person’sfault - they leave home for their own safety; they’d rather be onthe streets than living with trouble. People who have becomehomeless have often had traumatic experiences, which may neverleave their minds, and they have nobody to support them.

So what can we do to help? The young people I spoke to believethat if there were better awareness of the problems homelesspeople face, they would have a better chance of achieving whatthey want in life. Also, they think people need to be morecharitable, even giving money once in a while to assist them withtheir basic needs. YPAS, like any charity, needs money to keep itgoing, and maybe you could help.

So next time you walk past somebody who looks worse for wear,don’t think how worthless they are - most of them really want toget their life back on track. The longer they’re on the street, theharder it gets, so be grateful for what you have and don’t thinkthese people are low life, just because they’re different. They’retrying to get their life back the way they want it and, with a bitof help, they could. �

YPAS: 0151 707 1025 www.ypas.org.uk

DONT JUDGE!a book by its cover...

Sponsored by The Arena Housing Group

'Ticket touts' buy lots of concerttickets for popular artists andbands and sell the tickets on for ahuge profit.

I know from personal experience that when this happens it isvery annoying. The Killers will be on in Manchester in March - Itried to buy tickets for the event, and within two minutesthe gig was sold out. This is fair enough, if genuine fans havebought the tickets, but I later found out that some peoplewere selling pairs of tickets on Ebay for astronomical sums - upto £200! I’m sure many of the ticket 'sellers' had no intentionwhatever of attending the gig.

A lot of people use Ebay as a platform to trade tickets. Mostticket touts can sell tickets at the ticket price plus 60% ofthe face value.

The public are divided in their support for unauthorisedticket sellers - some people think they aregreat because they can gain access totickets for events that have sold out,although usually for astronomical prices.But there are others who believe that theamateur ticket touts are the people whoare causing these popular gigs to be sold outwithin minutes and widely regard tickettouts as middle men that make ahuge profit.

Ticket touting isconsidered a 'blackmarket' trade;however, it is currentlyonly illegal to tradefootball tickets.The Governmentsee this as a wayof reducingfootballhooliganism. The lawprevents selling footballtickets you have bought tostrangers, but not from sellingthem to friends and family.The music, sports andentertainment industry areall calling for the governmentto ban all types of ticketsales from unauthorisedsources. I believe such a lawwould be effective in themusic industry to prevent theexploitation of genuine fansby people out for a profit. �

JOSH DONNELLY thinks making touts illegal would be...

JUST THE TICKET

H...OUT & ABOUT..OUT & ABOUT..OUT & ABOUT..OUT & ABOUT..OUT & ABOUT..OUT & ABOUT..OUT &


amateur ticket toutsare the people who are

causing these popular gigsto sell out within minutes

ABOVE: Tickets for The Killerssell on Ebay for £200 a pairLEFT: Some ticket sales seemgeuuine, like this for Live8 in 2005MIDDLE: Selling on football ticketsis illegal in the Uk, but is seen atinternational matches like thisflyer from the 2006 World CupBOTTOM: A tout advertising atthe Reading Festival

COLLISION COURSELAST AUTUMN the world held its breath to see whether the most

expensive science experiment of all time would lead to amajor breakthrough or the destruction of the earth. Meanwhile a

girl took her own life. RYAN WOODS asks, was it all worth it?

MAIN PIC: The LHC lies in a tunnel 27 km in circumference (shownby the red circle). It is around 175 metres underground, on theborder between France and Switzerland, in the headquarters

of CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research. TOP RIGHT: CERN scientists made a rap video about their work

BOTTOM RIGHT: A cartoon showing paranoia around the launch

...IN THE NEWS...IN THE NEWS...IN THE NEWS...IN THE NEWS...IN THE NEWS...IN THE NEWS...IN TH


SEPTEMBER 2008: The worldfinally took notice of anincredible machine that hadbeen 13 years in the making.The Large Hadron Collider(LHC) finally came into actionamid rumours of the end ofthe world. Set up to try andprove how the universe gothere and where it is going, itslaunch was marred by viralvideos on the Internetdepicting possible consequencesof the experiment. It costaround 6.4 billion Euros, whenthe world is suffering fromone of the greatest economicdownturns ever. Hailed bysome as the most importantmachine invented, it has alsobeen called a huge waste ofmoney by others.

The LHC is a particleaccelerator - the largest andhighest-energy ever built. Itis also the most expensivescientific experiment ever.This huge project went underthe radar until just before itslaunch, but why was itpropelled into the spotlightso quickly almost overnight?It could be that people werefascinated by the science ofthe collider, or people wanted

to see where their money wasgoing. Really, it was only onething that made the colliderso interesting - it carried therisk of creating a microblack hole - somethinginternet scaremongers jumpedupon. Before long the web waslittered with videos depictingwhat could happen. The dramacontinued and numerouslawsuits were filed againstthe makers, claiming theworld was being put atunnecessary risk. All lawsuitswere eventually dismissed,but a 16 year old Indian girlcommitted suicide on the dayof the launch because shethought the world was ending.

The media frenzy whipped upa storm in the weeks leadingup to the launch and, with theworld trembling in fear, theLHC operators decided that asatirical rap about thecollider would be a goodchoice. Comments on the videowere mixed - some found ithilarious, while otherswatched in panicked disbeliefthat scientists behind thismachine could make a jokeabout it. But as the eve of theswitch-on came, the world

held its breath, and it trulywas big news. ProfessorStephen Hawking was draftedin to calm the storm, but stillparanoia was in the air. Thewhole world was talkingabout this machine - it wasbeing branded immoral byreligious fanatics andunnecessary by others.

But the machine malfunctionedafter only eight days and nowneeds major repair - it won’tbe operational again untilsummer 2009. Some will bewondering why we spent somuch and have received solittle. They might also bewondering whether it wasworth all the paranoia?

However the paranoia wasovershadowing the true valueof this machine. In the futurewe could stand to learn someof the answers to questionswhich have troubled us foryears – including helping thequest against cancer. It mayalso help to find the elusiveHiggs boson particle, alsoknown as the ‘God particle’,which could hold the key toour understanding of how theuniverse was created. �

DESPITE HOW BORING andmundane it may haveseemed to you and me, 2OO8was not an ordinary year.It was dramatic,momentous and memorablefor the USA and theentire world. Events fromthe horrifying to thehilarious dominated thenews, while millions ofAmericans voted to electtheir next President.

What made this electionso crucial was thatpeople were given theamazing chance tomake this year a'time forchange'and

forget the disastrouspolicies of one ofAmerica's least popularpresidents, George WBush.

The groundbreakingchoice to be the world'smost powerful man wasbetween two opposingpersonalities: coolBarack Obama andconventional JohnMcCain. They would bothmake history. Americawould have either itsfirst black president, orits oldest one. Thedramatic battle for votescaptured the heart and

imagination of theworld as people askedthemselves who wouldwin. After months ofspeculation thechoice was made onNovember 4th, whenBarack Obama waselected US President.

It was a breakthrough inthe fight againstracism, which hashaunted America for

generations. Oneof the

catchphrasesof Barack's campaignechoed the civil rightsmovement of the 196O's:"Rosa sat so Martin couldwalk; Martin walked soObama could run; Obama isrunning so our childrencan fly," remindingpeople of the hope thatMartin Luther Kingbrought to millions.

The stories of bickeringand name calling betweenthe nominees madeheadline news acrossAmerica and underlinedthe racial differencesbetween the candidates.To stop this becoming thecentral issue of theelection, a hard hittingposter was issued showinga black John McCain anda white Barack Obama.This made people realisethat the real issue ofthe election was not thecandidate's race, buttheir policies.

Obama's slogan, 'TheChange We Need', and hispolices on the economyand the disastrous warin Iraq won him theelection, and the colourof his skin had littleeffect on the hugelandslide that he won by.It was the year thatAmerica finally forgotits dramatic andturbulent history andBarack Obama became the44th President of theUnited States of America. �

REBBECCA OWENS looks back on...

HE NEWS...IN THE NEWS...IN THE NEWS...IN THE NEWS...IN THE NEWS...IN THE NEWS...IN THE NEW


JOE JENNINGS tells us why he is...

LIVERPOOL IS ONE of the great cities of the world:its skyline is as instantly recognisable as Manhattan inNew York, Sydney Harbour in Australia, Rio de Janeiroin Brazil, or the Bund in Shanghai. Any other Britishcity would kill for that kind of emblem.

Like any other city Liverpool has had its knocks - the declineof the docks was a huge blow - but in spite of what othershave said, the docks have more tonnage fleeting through themnow than it did at their supposed pinnacle.The difference isthat what took tens of thousands of dockers to deal with nowtakes little over 600 because of containerisation.

Liverpool in 2008 was packed with tourists from all over theworld, sampling the delights of our city, and the overwhelmingreaction has been encouraging. We will never have the industrywhich drove the city in the past, but I am confident thatLiverpool will continue to be renowned the world over for itsmagnificent architecture, arts, sport and, above all, its people.

Matthew Street Festival draws 300,000 people every year. Youcan't move (or park!) down the Albert Dock for tourists.

Around the world, millions have heard of Liverpool. Can thatbe said of our other cities?

We are one of the wonders of Britain. London aside, is thereanywhere that can equal us for the fineness of our streets orthe beauty of our buildings? Is there anywhere with such animposing and dignified city centre?

If Liverpool doesn't return to being one of the greatest citiesin the world, it's nothing to do with Liverpool. London is thecapital and gets all the money and political consideration fromoverseas. Manchester is in the same boat as us.

If we, as a city, can get into top gear again, there is no limit toour city's potential. The scale and resilience of our buildingsand people is truly amazing. We are a world city. Thegreatness of Liverpool is known throughout the world, butluckily for us, and everyone else, the reality surpasses theexpectation.

We are something to be proud of, so stand up and beproud for Liverpool. �


Proud TProud To Be Scouseo Be Scouse

LANDMARKSOF LIVERPOOL

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:The Royal Liver Building, part of thehistoric waterfront which became aUNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004;St. George’s Hall, one of the city’smany Grade 1 listed buildings; theAlbert Dock, flagship of Liverpool’sregeneration in the 1980s; theSuperLambBanana sculpture; theAnglican Cathedral, the largest inBritain; the Imperial Arch in Chinatown,the largest outside China, gateway toEurope’s oldest Chinese community; theCatholic Cathedral, a stunning exampleof modern architecture.

...CAPITAL OF CULTURE...CAPITAL OF CULTURE...CAPITAL OF CULTURE...CAPITAL OF CULTURE

THE YEAR 2008 was greeted witheagerness by nearly all residents ofLiverpool, for it was us and our citythat would be paraded in front ofthe world as the European Capitalof Culture - it was our time toshine. Now that our time in thespotlight has passed, it is time for usto look back and reminisce on theroller coaster ride that was 2008.

The Capital of Culture events kicked offwhen one Richard Starkey (better knownas Ringo Starr of the Beatles) bleated andcrooned on top of St. George’s Hallabout how he left his great city but henever let us down... until about twoweeks later when, talking to Jonathan Ross, he admitted thathe didn’t miss anything about Liverpool, which made thewhole event seem false and pointless.

May saw the opening of the ‘first phase’ of the £1bn LiverpoolOne development which was, like the return of Ringo, a highlyanticipated event for the people of Liverpool.This time,however, all the hype and media coverage was justified, as theambitious development has been a huge success, providingretail and leisure facilities - and jobs - for the city.

September saw the arrival of a 37 tonne, 50ft monster to thecity. ‘La Princesse’, the giant spider that gracefully brought ourentire city to a standstill was part of the La Machine streettheatre production.The £1.8m robot was the centrepiece ofthe Capital of Culture celebrations, which lured more than aquarter of a million people to the streets of Liverpool. It wasa fantastic spectacle, but how fantastic was it for £1.8 million?After all, what did it do? And what does it have to do withour city’s heritage or culture? Most importantly, what did itprovide for the city, other than a transport headache!

The best event of the year 2008, and for me the event thatshows the real culture of our great city, was the Concert forRhys in August. More than 8,000 people attended the event,held at the new Echo Arena on the waterfront, which includedperformances from stars including Spice Girl Mel C, formerAtomic Kitten Natasha Hamilton, and Tony Christie. Thisconcert illustrated the best things about this city; thecompassion and the warmth of its inhabitants and thewillingness for good to arise out of such a disastrous

situation. An 11 year-old boy, killed in 2007, was honoured in2008 by a proud city, a great city, a city of hope andcompassion, but not a city of culture! �

As the fanfares and fireworks fade into the night sky,SAM HORNER asks...

How gHow great was 08?reat was 08?


E...CAPITAL OF CULTURE...CAPITAL OF CULTURE...CAPITAL OF CULTURE...CAPITAL OF CULTUR

RINGO’S NO STAR: He sang at the ‘08 opening ceremony about how he neverlet Liverpool down, then said on national TV he missed nothing about the city.

MONEY SPIDER: La Princesse was a highlight, bringingthousands to the streets, but was it worth £1.8m?

IT IS IMPORTANT that schools know YOUR ideas asthat is on what this programme is based. YOURschool has a responsibility to consult with you andyour families to ensure YOUR contribution has beentaken into account when providing YOU withappropriate high quality activities.

This falls under the Government's agenda to providethe following Extended Schools Core Offer for allschools by March 2010:

� ‘Wraparound’ childcare from 8am to 6pm: (This means your school has to provide regular quality childcare for 48 weeks of the year)

� A varied menu of activities (for example, study support)

� Support for parents

� Swift and easy access to specialist services (for example, Citizens Advice Bureau)

� Wider community access to facilities, (ICT,Sports, Arts).

So, gone are those boring days of going home to anempty house or being frustrated when you and yourmates have nothing to do. YOUR school can have theanswer!

Not only will you be gaining, but you will be making apositive contribution to your school and thecommunity as a whole. What's more, you will be in asafe place with like minded people enjoying activitiesthat YOU wanted! Your school will have additionalsupport in delivering this from the Extended Schoolsteam.

Has YOUR school taken up this support?


YOUR SCHOOL NEEDS YOU!DID YOU KNOW? - ALL schools must now ensure that ALL pupils

have the opportunity to access school and community facilitiesto complete homework tasks, learn new skills in sporting,

cultural, IT and media activities.

Holiday and after schoolactivities at Parklands School

include cheerleading,trampolining and cooking

...BAN BOREDOM...BAN BOREDOM...BAN BOREDOM...BAN BOREDOM...BAN BOREDOM...BAN BORED

WHEN I WAS at primary school,after school activities on offerincluded drama, athletics and art.But now things are getting even moreexciting!

Parklands is one Liverpool schoolwhere the Extended Schools programme is enablingprimary school pupils to enjoy fun activities notnormally available to them. Trampolining,cheerleading, graphics (using ICT), arts and craftsare all on offer to pupils from St Christopher's, StAmbrose, Middlefield and Stockton Wood primaryschools each Wednesday during term time.

Extended Schools Manager Kathryn Bell explained:‘These activities allow Year 5 and 6 children to cometogether and experience activities in after schoolclubs, and most important of all, to make new friendsto ease them into the transition of moving up intohigh school.’

I noticed how much the children enjoy theprogramme, happy and smiling all the time. But it isalso benefiting Parklands' own students who volunteerto help each week. Laura Toohey, a Sixth Form helpertold me: ‘It's a good idea, as it helps the younger

children make new friends and helps them to mix withnew people. My role is to support whoever is runningthe activity. It gives me a responsibility which Ienjoy.’ As well as getting valuable experience, thestudent helpers are offered the opportunity to trainand get an award in peer mentoring.

The programme also gets the thumbs up from theprimary school children themselves. One Year 5 pupilfrom Stockton Wood Primary School said: ‘We enjoycoming here. It's too dark to play outside now, andcoming here stops us staring at the computer or TVfor hours. We always do fun stuff, and get to playwith our friends instead of going straight home.’

The Extended Schools programme offers activities toParklands’ own pupils after school on Mondays andThursdays and during school holidays. Activitiesinclude a range of sports, healthy activities such ascooking, and DJ-ing. This provision is delivered fromthe Speke Youth Centre, with support from partnerssuch as Liverpoool Youth Service, Merseyside YouthAssociation and the School Sports Partnership. Pupilsare also offered a wide range of activities such asdrama, music, ICT and reading as part of the StudySupport programme delivered by teachers andsupport staff after school. �

EXTENDED FUN by AMY WESTLAKE


DOM...BAN BOREDOM...BAN BOREDOM...BAN BOREDOM...BAN BOREDOM...BAN BOREDOM...BAN BOR

Diabetes is on the increase in the UK, and couldaffect four million people by 2O25. It is

becoming more common among children and young people.AMY WESTLAKE explains how she lives with the condition.

MORE THAN 2.5m people have diabetes in the UK -around one in five of them don't know it.There are two types of diabetes:

Type 1 Diabetes: develops if the body is unable toproduce any insulin. This usually appears before theage of 40. Type 1 Diabetes is the least common,accounting for 5 - 15% of all people with diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes: develops when the body can stillmake some insulin, but not enough. In most casesthis is linked with being overweight. It usuallyappears in people over the age of 40. However,recently, more children are being diagnosed with thecondition, some as young as seven. Type 2 Diabetesis the most common, accounting for between 85 -95% of all people with diabetes.

I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in November 1999. Ihad no idea what diabetes was or how it would or could

change my life. But since then I have learnt a lot about mycondition and how it doesn't really affect your life unlessyou let it.

Here are the signs and symptoms of diabetes, which areusually more obvious with Type 1 diabetes:

� Increased thirst � Going to the toilet a lot � Extreme tiredness � Weight Loss � Blurred Vision� Slow healing of wounds.

If you think you are suffering from any of the abovesymptoms, going to see your doctor is the best option. Itcould be the best thing that you do because if diabetes isn'ttreated quickly you could be much worse off.

Whether you have just been diagnosed, or have haddiabetes for some time, it is important that you get regular,high quality healthcare. This will help to ensure that yourdiabetes, blood pressure and blood fats are all kept incheck.

Diabetes involves having high and low blood sugars sobeing in control is something that you need to get used todoing. You need to control it, not let it control you!

If you have recently been diagnosed with diabetes, comingto terms with it is probably the biggest hurdle to overcome.You may often ask yourself questions like ‘Why me?’,(something I did and still do a lot). The initial shock willeventually go away, and each day will give you a newconfidence of dealing with your condition. There are plentyof people you can talk to who will answer any questions youhave, such as your doctor, your diabetes team, otherdiabetics, your parents and Diabetes UK, the charity for the

treatment and care ofpeople with diabetes.Their website has asection called ‘My Life’,especially for childrenand young people withdiabetes.

Diabetes UK careline:0845 120 2960Mon-Fri 9-5pmor visitdiabetes.org.uk �

AA ddrroopp iinn tthhee oocceeaann??...HEALTH & WELLBEING...HEALTH & WELLBEING...HEALTH & WELLBEING...HEALTH & WELLBE


Most people with diabetes need tomonitor their blood sugar levelsevery day. This means pricking a

finger (above) and putting a drop ofblood on a testing strip, which is

analysed by a blood glucose meter(pictured right). They also need totake insulin injections or tablets.

Check It Before YouWreck It!Wreck It!

Tariro Munodawafa, Age 12Many young people are very consciousabout their health - this website givesyou advice and support, like what to dowhen you or a friend is getting bulliedor pressured into taking drugs, smokingor drinking alcohol. You take a 15-question quiz about things that you arelikely to face as a teenager - bullying,smoking, taking drugs and feelings about your weightand body are just some of the issues targeted.

If you score less than 100 per cent in any area thewebsite gives you advice on what you could do toimprove. For instance, if you smoke and you score 50 percent on that topic, the website will give you advice andsupport on how to stop smoking, advice on what to do ifyou’re getting pressured into smoking and the causes thatsmoking has on your health such as bad breath, yellowfingertips, stained teeth, face wrinkles, emphysema,cancer and heart disease!

I took the quiz and experimented by selecting differentoptions from the multiple choices to look at the range ofadvice and information offered. The website also offersadvice on how to feel safe in your community, and whereto find safer sex information.

It’s certainly a very good website, giving you a lot ofadvice on common teenage issues and can help you withany problems or worries that you may have. I woulddefinitely recommend you to check it out!

Josh Donnelly, age 15I found that the website could be ofsome help to people who are unsureabout subjects such as drug abuse,alcohol and sex and do not want to askan adult or friend about them.

The multiple-choice test results arehelpful, as the user can find out whatthey understand fully, what they half understand and whatthey do not understand and need to learn about.

The website offers extensive and detailed information ona range of subjects, from being active to drugs, schooland crime, and this information could be of some help toyoung people who have turned to the website for advice.

I feel that the website will be good for shy people whoare in need of help but are only willing to answerquestions on a safe and confidential website that istargeted at their age group.

One area where I feel that the website could be improvedis by offering a confidential comments box at the end ofthe questions, where users can offer feedback, forexample, how helpful and easy to use the website is.

The website could definitely be a help to teenagers and isa good idea from the NHS. I feel that the website will bebeneficial as more young people become aware of it.

Try it yourself: nhs.uk/teenlifecheck �


EING...HEALTH & WELLBEING...HEALTH & WELLBEING...HEALTH & WELLBEING...HEALTH & WEL

The NHS has launched 'teenlifecheck', a new website for 12-15 year olds.Using a series of multiple choice questions, you can find out moreabout your health and lifestyle. Two Youth Livers took the test...


Many people my age think that school is a waste oftime. But you need to learn to get a good educationand that means getting good grades in GCSE’s andA-Levels. School teaches you how to read and writewell, and that is something you will need in nearlyevery job. School even teaches you what happens toyou when you grow up. If you go to school you will meetnew people and you will see your friends. I went to anAim Higher event in Speke, and we talked about thetypes of things that you could do if you went on to goto college or university, and for fun we made posters

about diplomas.CChhllooee GGii llffooyyllee

Aim Higher helps hundreds of young people each year to get the mostout of school and achieve their ambitions. We asked some young people

in Knowsley to tell us why a good education is important to them.

...AIM HIGHER...AIM HIGHER...AIM HIGHER...AIM HIGHER...AIM HIGHER...AIM HIGHER...AIM H

Too Cool

For

School?

Without school we wouldn’t be able to read or write

and so we wouldn’t be able to get a job, because to

start you need to be able to fill in the application

form! You also need maths so when you get paid you

know if you have been paid the right amount. Even

doing a paper round, if you can’t recognise numbers

you won’t know if you have missed a house out or not!

Also if you didn’t go to school you would be attached

to your parents and would have poor social skills.

It’s good to go to school to be with people your own

age so that you can form friendships.

Leanne McIver

I think that school is important because itteaches you to prepare for life. Subjectslike Maths, English, and Science reallyhelp your understanding of the world.What you can become when you’re olderdepends on how you behave in school andhow much you listen. I want to be anauthor so I pay attention mostly inEnglish because that has a lot to do withcreative writing and reading books.School also helps you to work in groupsand to work independently of others,which develops social skills - you alsomake new friends who support youthroughout your time at school.

Robert BallSchool plays an importantpart in my life. I enjoy art,technology and ICT, because theywill help me become a cartoonist.Maths also plays a important partin that job, because of the need tocalculate diameters of virtualcartoons. English will also help mewrite invoices and produce textboxes within my cartoons. Schoolalso comes with good friends, closeones that you can count on.Homework gets you used to workingindependently. Work experiencealso helps because it teaches youmore about what it is like to workin the ‘adult world’. Scott Lidgett

CyberBullyingIn my opinioncyber bullyingis growingbecause somany kids usethe internet,mobile phones,Xboxes etc.Bullies sendthreateningmessages to

their victims or can use MSN, MySpace orchat rooms to terrorise people.

At its worst, bullying can be physical. Thismeans someone being beaten up and thenforced not to tell anybody about it whichthen causes them to suffer in silence.

However, verbal bullying is still a cruelform of harassment. The types of thingspeople can be bullied for range from weightand height, to skin colour. Bullying is oftenbased on someone’s inability to deal withdifference. Homophobia is a cruel and stillcommon form of bullying. It isn’t really foranyone to choose whether they are gay,lesbian or bisexual - that’s just who they are.

Bullies can be people who are upsetthemselves, or can be those just looking forvictims who wont stand up to them.There are helplines and websites to helpchildren with bullying, for example;Childline is one of the biggest helplines forchildren who are being affected by bullyingor having problems at home.Name witheld, Year 9

Wanna Be ARock Star?I think thisarticle madeclear thatdrugs are abad influenceand celebritiesshould stoptaking them.It’s having ahuge impacton teenagers

to “fit in”. The shocking results are a bigwake up call. However I don’t think peoplecan put all the blame on celebrities, as theydon’t tell young people to take drugs. It’stheir decision whether to say yes or no.Name withheld, Year 9

Capital Of Gang Culture?I have friends that I go round with out ofschool and they are terrified of gangs afterhearing and seeing what gangs have donein the past. I hate the way that they thinkthey can do certain things to people justbecause they are in a gang - it’s justdisgusting! They think they get respect

from their mates because they act likeidiots. Well, it’s acting like idiots that causesdangerous accidents which can hurt otherpeople – it was gang culture that led to thedeath of Rhys Jones.Scott Lidgett, Year 9

Is There AnEcho In Here?I think theEcho Arena isa pretty coolplace. I wasthere recentlyto see theRhys JonesConcert and itwas full ofpeople. Ithosts many

events such as concerts, acrobatics andcomedy shows and is a comfortable place tospend some time in. I can imagine it isgoing to be a great ‘chill-out’ place in thesummer, as you can sit on the grass orseating outside and watch as the flowingwater from the docks gently passes by.Chloe Gilfoyle, Year 9

We want you, dear reader, toget involved in Youth Live.To share your views on anarticle, or on any issue whichbugs or excites you, email:[email protected]

We asked readers from Ruffwood School in Kirkby fortheir responses to articles in previous issues.Here are their thoughts on bullying, drugs and

celebrity, gang culture and the Echo Arena.

...YOUR SHOUT...YOUR SHOUT...YOUR SHOUT...YOUR SHOUT...YOUR SHOUT...YOUR SHOUT...YOU


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youth live issue 6

Documents

youth live issue

issue of thenew year

brand new issue ofyouth

better lives02 issue

momentous year

new beginning

new ideas

year of opportunity