Tree of Trust unveiled at Enniskillen Integrated Primary School

25th June 2019

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The Tree of Trust is the latest in a series of anti-bullying initiatives devised by the school’s Anti-Bullying Ambassador Team which is made up of eleven pupils.

The Tree of Trust, funded by Fermanagh and Omagh Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) and designed and crafted by members of Lisnaskea Men’s Shed, provides a focal point within the school where pupils can hang a positive thought or affirmation from a tree branch to encourage positive behaviour or find out about help and support available within the school if they are being bullied.

The Tree of Trust is one of a series of anti-bullying initiatives being rolled out by the school’s Anti-Bullying Ambassador Team. Other projects include the ‘Be an Upstander, not a Bystander’ campaign and providing input into the development of the school’s Anti-Bullying Policy. The Anti-Bullying Ambassador team has also decided to distribute personal safety alarms, provided by Fermanagh and Omagh PCSP, to pupils who walk, scoot or cycle to school.

Councillor Thomas O’Reilly, Chairman of Fermanagh and Omagh PCSP, said

“The PCSP is very pleased to support this initiative which had been driven from the outset by the pupils themselves. As a school project the Tree of Trust is an uplifting way to help foster kind, supportive relationships amongst pupils and teachers. Watching the tree come to life creates positive and uplifting feelings and behaviour, making it a highly effective way to build character and promote more positive behaviour.”

Lorcan Sreenivasan, Anti-Bullying Lead pupil said:

“Having been trained by The Diana Award Anti-Bullying training team we want to promote our anti-bullying messages around our school and community to help empower children to take positive action against bullying behaviours and to help those who need to overcome their bullying behaviours. We hope to use our ‘Tree of Trust’ to help us motivate others to make better choices.”

Skilled craftsmen from Lisnaskea Men’s Shed helped the school’s Anti-Bullying ambassadors realise their vision of the ‘Tree of Trust’. The craftsmen stripped the bark from Black Sally, sourced from Carn Rock in Co. Fermanagh and used a mortice and tenon joint to place branches, with rounded beech tips to resemble buds, into the trunk to make the tree.

Ms Cox, Primary 6 teacher at the school said;

“I wish to thank Fermanagh and Omagh Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) and Lisnaskea Men’s Shed for supporting our Anti-Bullying Ambassador Team, helping to make their vision come to life. The team meet regularly to discuss ways in which they can combat bullying behaviours within the school and the community.”

For further information on Fermanagh and Omagh PCSP please telephone Fermanagh and Omagh District Council on 0300 303 1777 (calls charged at local rate) or text phone 028 8225 6216.