The Link - to mental wellbeing

I was bullied at school - and that experience has coloured my life.

I was very happy at my small primary school, but the transition to a large senior school was overwhelming. I went into my shell and that made me a target for bullies.

It was never physical, but perhaps I would have told someone if there had been visible signs. Instead the damage was inside. Day after day of hurtful comments chips away at your confidence, and I stopped talking to my peers. This went on for the whole five years I was at senior school.

Why didn't I tell anyone? In the late 70s/early 80s bullying wasn't talked about in schools. They didn't have anti-bullying policies. And I genuinely thought that it would only get worse if I told someone.

In many ways I was luckier than today's teenagers. At least I could go home and feel safe away from the bullies. Now, through cyber bullying, there is nowhere for victims to get away from their abusers.

Bullying has had a profound impact on me. I didn't do as well as I was expected to in exams, and for years afterwards I would avoid any potential conflict situations. I was always worried about drawing attention to myself and how others viewed me. For a long time my lack of confidence limited the choices I made.

The turning point came when I moved to the other end of the country to train as a journalist. For the first time in my life I was in a town where no-one knew me. From that day I decided I was going to be the confident person I knew was deep inside. The friends I made during that time laugh now when I say I was shy, because that's not the person they have always known.

At first it was touch tough to project a facade of confidence, but as my career developed, I married and had two beautiful, talented daughters so did my confidence in my own abilities - and the facade became truth.

There have been a couple of occasions in my career when I've felt bullied and very quickly those old feelings returned. But I'm different now. I know they are in the wrong and I have the confidence to stand up to the bullies and say "No more!"

So why write about this now? Well, my husband has decided to volunteer with an organisation in my home town called The Link, which is charitably funded and works to support children, young people and their families with emotional and mental health challenges.

We know someone who has really benefited from the brilliant work they do in helping to build youngsters' emotional resilience and confidence. And this two things made me think about how different my teenage and early adult years could have been if The Link had existed when I needed it.

Emotional resilience and confidence are two of the most important attributes we can give our children. With both they can go a long way to achieving their ambitions and dreams, as well as having the skills to deal with the tough times that do come along in life.

What is sad is that not every town has The Link. It's an organisation that needs £300,000 a year to operate, but its positive impact on the lives of young people dealing with difficulties at home and at school is immeasurable.

Unlike my husband I don't have the professional skills to help the youngsters who rely on The Link, but I can use my communication skills to raise the profile of the great work it does, and hopefully encourage others to support the organisation that is making such a difference to the emotional well being of young people. You can find out more from their website www.redcarlink. com

Caroline Parnell is the owner of Sentry PR. If you'd like to know more about how Sentry PR can help with your communication and marketing challenges call Caroline on 0780 7671728, email carpar@live.co.uk or check out our website www.sentrypr.co.uk