Southend YMCA's voYce Magazine by Shaun Biggs

vo ce 20 Southend

www.southendymca.org.uk

Anniversary Edition

WELCOME!

elcome to voYce, our very first magazine, brought to you by the participants of Southend YMCA’s Youth Exchange project. The content has been created by our wonderful young creatives and budding journalists who have committed their time during the last 10 weeks to produce this publication.

Syrie Cox (CEO)

The Youth Exchange is just one of the many projects we offer that is freely available to children and young people in and around the Southend area. From music, education, art and cooking to sport, drama and volunteering, our mission is to help as many young people enjoy equalised life opportunities and reach their potential.

VOYCE CO NTR IBUTO R S

Cara Lough

Chloe Rushbrook

Eleanor Bleach

Hayley Adams

Holly Ambrose

Joshua Harris

Katie Roosten

Kelsey Hibberd

Laura Brown

Lucia Dove

Lydia Miller

Rebecca Carter

Our dedicated, expert and caring staff team at Southend YMCA offers services which address the needs and raise the aspirations of disadvantaged children and young people and helps transform their lives. Our charity’s mission is to ‘Stand in the Gap’. Our vision is to contribute to the transformation of society and create cohesive communities, which help disadvantaged young people to build their future so they can belong, contribute and thrive. Our job at Southend YMCA is to equip young people with the knowledge, resources, skills and confidence they need to live a happy and fulfilling adult life. 2014 sees Southend YMCA reach its 20th birthday. During these 20 years we have helped transform thousands of young lives and with your help we can continue our commitment to improving the wellbeing and prospects for even more local young people.

Get Body Confident

words by Eleanor Bleach & Kelsey Hibberd ‘curvy’ into two distinct categorises is just another way of dismissing women as two dimensional mannequins. It’s oppression!”

wo young people from Southend YMCA were selected alongside former volunteer and fashion designer Joey Bevan to be ambassadors for the Dove Body Confidence campaign in partnership with YMCA Engand. Kelsey Hibberd and Joey Bevan appeared in the national press and television championing body diversity and self acceptance and Eleanor Bleach is part of the ongoing ambassadorial team of young people actively promoting the cause. Denise Hatton, Chief Executive of youth charity YMCA England, says: “Too often the way we look becomes a measure of who we are and there is a growing pressure to achieve an aesthetic ideal that few of us can live up to. When we feel bad about how we look, we make bad choices about our health and are stopped from achieving our full potential. We are seeing this amongst young people, both boys and girls, across the country and urgently need to help them become confident about who they are and what they look like.” Eleanor Bleach wanted to be part of the campaign because she says,

“What was once considered ‘beauty’ has morphed into a long list of unattainable criteria, to such an extent that this cookie-cutter image of ‘perfection’ is being perpetuated as a standard all women must meet.

“TOO OFTEN THE WAY WE LOOK BECOMES A MEASURE OF WHO WE ARE” The most chilling aspect of body image issues today is that physical perfection is increasingly regarded as a baseline requirement: you can only be taken seriously as a human being if you first fit these narrow criteria. Yes there has been a slight increase in the representation of so called ‘curvy’ women, but including the occasional Kim Kardashian in an ad campaign does not compensate for the abundance of Kate Mosses. For some, the perfectly proportioned ‘curvy’ woman is equally as unattainable as a paper thin model.

Kelsey Hibberd explains, “I was thrilled to be asked to get involved with such a fantastic and muchneeded campaign. I have been very enthusiastic to tackle the issue of body image and self confidence as I was effected by low self esteem as a teen. Young people are surrounded by a “photoshop culture” which as a result, negatively impacts mental health. I’m proud to be part of a campaign which puts both mental and physical health as a priority, helping young people out of this unhealthy obsession over appearance.” Suzi Browne, media manager at YMCA England, says “With the launch of our new Be Real campaign, YMCA England and other partners and organisations are determined to raise awareness and improve understanding of body anxiety and increase body confidence for everyone across the country. In order to get our message across, it is vital for people to hear from those who have personal experience of the issue. Kelsey and Ellie, have been fantastic ambassadors both for YMCA, and the wider campaign, and their passion and dedication has helped us spread the word on a much wider scale. We are delighted to have them involved and look forward to developing the campaign with their support, in the years to come.” Find out more at: http://www.berealcampaign.co.uk

Variety should include an entire spectrum of people. Labelling those who are ‘skinny’ and those who are 3

The Importance of Hobbies Words By Lydia Miller

Hobby. Pastime. Occupation. Whatever synonym you prefer, the importance of them remains the same. We all need something we can rely on to distract us from a worry, to take us away to a quieter place for even a short time, or just to enjoy doing something we love. I know I’m not the only stressed 16-year-old out there right now, struggling under the pressure to achieve in exams, the pressure to have a wild social life or the pressure to be perfect. With all this worry floating about, it’s crucial that we have something to fall back on. Most people associate hobbies with people who have a lot of time on heir hands; I asked my sister what she thought a hobby was and she replied with “Gardening? That’s a mid-life crisis, bored housewife thing though”. But in fact, pastimes often bring the greatest benefits to those who have the littlest time on their hands.

Charlotte Brennan VOLUNTEERING HELPED ME ON THE PATH TO BECOMING A STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH NURSE AT ONE OF THE UK’S TOP 10 UNIVERSITIES. BY HELPING OTHERS, I HAVE LEARNT IN THE DARKEST OF TIMES, AN ACT OF KINDNESS SHINES SO BRIGHTLY IT CAN LEAD THE WAY BACK TO HOPE AND PEACE OF MIND, WHICH CAN SAVE LIVE AND SOMETIMES EVEN INSPIRE THE PERSON TO HELP OTHERS BY VOLUNTEERING THEMSELVES. The Southend YMCA volunteering family has been my light - they picked me up and set me back on the right path, and for that, I will be eternally grateful and will forever continue to strive to shine the same light through demonstrating compassion and kindness in the way that the Southend YMCA family has done for me. Volunteering can open your eyes and mind to the reality of other peoples’ lives and by meeting other volunteers and sharing experiences, you’ll increase your knowledge too. I’d strongly recommend volunteering because it offers so many opportunities to do a huge amount of good for not only for others and your community but you’ll increase your personal growth through participating in workshops, events, projects and training such as First Aid, Sleepeasy and CORE and the SOS Bus which all provide valuable life skills and CV building experience.

Busy people – workers, students – need the escape that a hobby can provide. Stress can often become overwhelming even leading to depression and anxiety. Even for just an hour a week, if something can be done to break down and distract from the workload, de-stress and provide a responsibilityfree slot, it is just fantastic for the mind and personality. In turn, you’re more likely to be positive and motivated when you return to work. Hobbies don’t have to be expensive either. Personally, I love creative writing – it helps me to expand my imagination, and takes me into my own world where I can really be myself for a while. This hobby is such an effective way of making me feel better about myself, and I go to writing as a way of coping with exam stress – it relieves the importance of grades for an hour or so. Not only do hobbies allow you to become your care-free self for a while, but they also have social benefits. Many pastimes include a group of people; a great chance to get socially involved and make long-term friendships for support. Who knows, you could help each other with revision or coursework! Local leisure activities, like you would find at a Youth Centre are a fantastic opportunity to meet people with similar interests as yourself, and build communication skills. Hobbies alleviate boredom and stress. If you feel you may have an issue perhaps caused by stress or are worried about your mental health at all, there are a number of organisations you can talk to for emotional support. Samaritans – 08457 90 90 90 BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) – 01455 88 33 00 MIND – 0300 123 3393 or text 86463 Childline – 0800 1111

www.southendymca.org.uk

Breaking The Boundaries: SONIC POETRY Words By Lucia Dove It can often be difficult to reintroduce poetry into the lives of those who feel they have finally freed themselves of their poetic duty after years of suffocating high school curriculums. But why is it that this word, poetry, one that arguably holds the key to a wealth of creative understanding and expression, is often considered synonymous to dull, dry and boring? Poetry has potential to express creativity, voice, ambition, memories, knowledge and above all – ourselves.. It is a worthy investment, indeed of both our time and emotions. The poetic influence is evident in some of my favourite music, from Lou Reed celebrating Edgar Allen Poe in ‘The Raven’ , The Doors with Jim Morrison hailing some of William Blake’s greatest radical vision, poet, musician and writer Patti Smith reading an extract from Jack Kerouac’s ‘The Last Hotel’. To the Arctic Monkeys playing homage to John Cooper Clarke’s ‘I Wanna Be Yours’ from their most recent album ‘AM’.. I want everyone to realise the energy that can be felt from sonic and performance poetry, to understand the potential for creative and personal development - to not only break the boundaries of poetry, but to smash them with an unprecedented force. Find out about local poetry events at the links below: http://www.sundownarts.org http://estuaryfringe.weebly.com

Wanna Join Our Youth Club?

Words Eleanor Bleach Pics – Cara Lough Youth Club are: Danny Blanco, Joe Fran, Gerarrd Duffield & Rees Broomfield

Do you think it’s important for a band to have a clear creative direction? Danny: By the time we started doing gigs they already had a solid repertoire of music and knew the kind of sound they were trying to create. Our brief has always been very clear, we all know exactly what we want to do. You’ve performed a lot of local gigs such as Village Green and Leigh Folk Festival, do you prefer performing to a local crowd or do you enjoy travelling around? Danny: Last year we focused on building up a local fanbase. Recently we played at Cameden Lock Live and it was great to see loads of London fans enjoying our music. Rees: it’s a great feeling to play in other venues and get the same reaction that we do back home. Would you ever consider using a mainstream TV talent show to expose your music to a wide audience? Danny: Those shows aren’t useful at all for anyone who wants to write their own music. In days gone by bands could get development deals with big labels, whereas now bands have to present a complete product before getting signed to a major label. Do you think unsigned bands realise that that element of what they’re doing is so important? Danny: We’ve realised that social media to promote ourselves is so important. I spend more time on my laptop using social media than writing songs in the studio. If we didn’t put that time in, we’d have a lot less attention and make a lot less progress. Rees: Artists now are a lot more aware of PR and branding than they used to be, but, it’s easy to become obsessed with how many views they got on YouTube or likes on Facebook – you can end up judging your success by numbers. You need to do it in the right way — write the music, don’t go crazy gigging everywhere until you’ve got the music right, then look at the branding and social media side of things but have the music waiting to follow through. Find out more at: http://www.weareyouthclub.co.uk/

After 5 years of touring with Ladyhawke, Danny Blanco joined his brother Joe Fran and almost brothers Gerarrd Duffield and Rees Broomfield to form Youth Club and set about writing their debut album. Inspired by summer and all things colourful, the band are not confined by the boundaries of any particular genre but draw influence from many styles — soulful vocals, pop choruses, synths and guitars — the authentic sound of summer. How did you guys meet? Rees: Jerry met Joe in a queue at a gig for local band Redtrack.

Our Projec Housing Each year we provide supported housing for 30 young people who may be homeless without our intervention. We offer far more than a roof over our young residents’ heads and help them finish their education, prepare for employment, budget and cook. We are increasing our housing provision to meet the increasing local need.

Food4Thought

Supported Housing

Learning & Development Food 4 Thought — More Food 4 Thought is a free year long Foundation Learning course aimed at 16 – 18 year olds. Students will gain a wide variety of accredited qualifications and certificates as well as gaining essential independent living skills.

Southend YMCA Community School — Southend YMCA Community School offers a full time GCSE programme for key stage 4 pupils who need alternative education arrangements. The school supports pupils to acquire the knowledge, skills and qualifications to make the successful transition to adulthood.

S o u th ch u rch Vocational College in partnership with St Nicholas School

Southchurch Vocational College — Southchurch Vocational College is a free year long transition programme aimed at 16-18 year olds who may have additional learning needs. We provide work based learning opportunities and qualifications.

Switch 2 Music

Switch2Music — The Switch 2 Music Studio offers free music support to young people who want to progress with their technical musical ability, production skills, lyric writing and artist development for 14-18 year olds.

Prince’s Trust — Prince’s Trust Team (PTT) is a full-time 12 week self-development course. Young people will develop transferable skills such as communication, motivation, confidence, problem solving, leadership, working with others and more, whilst gaining qualifications.

cts

Aged 11–25? No qualifications needed to get involved! Build your CV and your confidence on our projects! Contact us: Call - 01702 301301 email - info@southendymca.org.uk

Volunteering

OTIVATE MAKE YOUR MARK

Motivate — Motivate is Southend YMCA’s flagship volunteering programme, working with 16-25 year olds to run community projects in Basildon, Southend, Castle Point & Rochford Districts for either 30 hours or 2 hours per week.

Skills for Employment Eco Hub — a professional business facility to support young disadvantaged entrepreneurs.

Talent Match — a Big Lottery Funded initiative to help unemployed local 18-24 year olds get into work.

Health and Wellbeing TEAM

TeamYP — TEAM YP is a fun and fulfilling 26 week resilience building project designed by young people for young people aged 11-25.

SOS Bus — The SOS Bus is a night time economy provision working in Southend and Basildon, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of those out on Friday & Saturday nights.

As featured on Channel 4’s Undercover Boss

OnSide — On side provides inclusive Sport & Physical Activity for all, volunteers can become part of the delivery Team, helping to encourage our club members to contribute, participate and enjoy themselves through Sport and other fun activities.

DON’T MIND THE GAP

Words — Lucia Dove | Holly Ambrose

believe a gap year should be compulsory. Why? It’s very simple - our brains have been full steam ahead on the education train for just over thirteen years what could be the harm in having a bit of a break. I found the whole process of A-Levels pretty stressful, so I knew straight away that I’d need a year out before going back into education. Having a year out before University gives you a little more time to think about what it is you want to do. I’ve met plenty of people who changed not only their course but also their choice of University. And dedicating some time to yourself to grow and develop increases confidence, independence and through working, volunteering or travelling, offers an opportunity to meet and communicate wit h a wider age range of people in a broader setting than just being at university may allow. Some of you might be reading this thinking, ‘but if I take 12 months out, I’ll be older than EVERYONE at University when I start a year later’. Trust me, this wont be the case. Approximately 230,000 of us take a year out before University. And you’ll soon realise this really isn’t that noticeable or even important at all! Gap years might not be for everyone and there is nothing to suggest that taking one will improve or reduce your chances of achieving a better degree, but for me it gave me personal insight before I embarked on my next big adventure.

uring my first year at university, there were occasions, sitting in lecture halls confused, (and sometimes hung over,) being fed PowerPoint presentations’, I questioned, “Is there really much point to any of this?” Add the expense of tuition fees into the mix and it’s no surprise higher education puts many people off. I am so glad I chose to start university straight after my A Levels and didn’t do a gap year. I’m not convinced young people are given enough advice about gap years; and therefore risk wasting time and money. Without sufficient preparation for a meaningful year out, there’s a risk you 8

could spend the next twelve months sitting around watching daytime TV. Speaking to student Alice Brucass, who will be attending the University of Kent in September, she regrets taking a year out. Originally planning to study for a degree in fine art, Alice had to spend an extra year at her sixth form, after her A Levels, in order to achieve a BTEC that was required for her to receive a place on the course. However, throughout her third year Alice had a change of heart and decided she no longer wanted to study fine art, but contrastingly a social anthropology degree. “This year has been such a waste of time,” she told me. “I wish I’d researched properly and was better informed by careers advisors as to what I really wanted to do. I feel like I’m now a year behind and not any better off for it.” Another consideration must be, “Can I actually afford a gap year?” If you choose to travel abroad, the cost of accommodation, flights, food etc can be overwhelmingly expensive; which you’ll have to really think through before you get into £30,000 worth of university debts. Finally, I think that if I had taken a year out from education I may have struggled to find the motivation to return. The notion of going “back to school” could’ve been a lot less attractive after I’d been exploring the world or earning money at work and I wouldn’t trade my university experience for anything.”

Further resources: www.gapyear.com http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Gap_Year_Ideas http://www.theguardian.com/travel/gap-year-travel

www.southendymca.org.uk

hones are one of the most used devices across the world, with over 3 billion people currently using them to call friends and family or to build new buildings in their overcrowded farms. But how did these features evolve from its humble beginnings to what you use it today?

TALKING ‘BOUT A PHONEELUTION

The first mobile phone call was made on April 3rd 1973 on a device invented by Martin Cooper, a researcher for Motorola to Dr. Joel S. Engel of Bell Labs.

Words — Joshua Harris

The model, a DynaTAC cost around £2000. Expensive, right? The phone was only capable of performing simple, short calls to other users, lasting roughly 60 minutes at most and needed 10 hours to charge the phones battery to full. Amazing how phones have evolved!

keep up to date with news and navigate. Augmented Reality is one of the new kids on the block providing users with additional information about their surroundings. But what will the phones be like in next 20 years? Will technology change much, these handsets wont really be classified as ‘phones’ anymore or has our concept of what a phone is, changed radically? Some of predictions for the future are phones with foldable screens, built in holographic projectors for cinematic leisure and professional presentation use and full voice recognition control. Perhaps we will no longer need to carry money as a touch of a button will allow us to do all transactions via our phones. The mobile phone has come a long way since Martin Cooper made his first phone call – could he ever have predicted the revolution he would start. Check out some fascinating new futuristic phone concepts at this website: http://bit.ly/1GWhv9R

Now we skip forward to 2004, and the first Smart Phone type is released. The Samsung E250, arrived with music and a radio player, built in camera and Bluetooth capability. These features were groundbreaking, astonishing and what underpinned specifications for the modern phone. No one had ever seen or done this kind of thing before, it was amazing! There are now phone apps to control the lighting and heating homes, program our TVs, monitor our health, nutrition and fitness and remind us of appointments. We use our phones to store photo’s, access social media,

ON THE HOLLOWAY ROAD WORDS — REBECCA CARTER

Southend-on-Sea may not be the first place that springs to mind when thinking about country music, but two young musicians from Leigh-on-Sea, Robert Gulston and Jack Cooper are bringing a Nashville flavour to the Essex coast with some seriously high quality writing and recordings.

Rob explains, “That was deliberate – we wanted it English and relevant to home, so we looked at a tube map and Holloway Road jumped out. Plus we’d played so many gigs in that area so it meant something to us.”

Gulston and Cooper have been musical partners since their schooldays in various band incarnations and Holloway Road was born of their mutual love of the genre.

I asked them, what inspires their song writing? “Everyday life for us. All things grey and all things beautiful. “And bands like Lady Antebellum, Wham, Duran Duran, Rascal Flatts, Florida Georgia Live, Huey Lewis and Spinal Tap!” says Rob.

Holloway Road is a very British name for a very American style?

“There are some incredible songs out there,” he continues, “I wish I’d have written ‘Brad Paisley’s Rainin’ on You’.”

www.southendymca.org.uk

So, what are some of the challenges they face as a young band? Budget, creative differences and finding enough time to focus on the bands seem to be commonly experienced obstacles. Rob agrees, “Unsigned bands are often expected to play at gigs for free and it’s expensive especially when they have to pay their own expenses to the venue and may well have spent a lot on rehearsal studio hire for weeks before to prepare for the gig. But they need to do these shows as it’s a way to reach new people but personally, I think the least a venue or promoter can do for a band that’s playing for them is cover expenses or even offer a couple of drinks or offer some food especially if they’re making money on ticket sales! “One struggle for us is juggling the needs of the band with full time work and finding reliable, committed, punctual musicians to work with. But if you want it to happen you have to make the time to work on it and develop it. We utilise social networking as much as possible as this is free and an ideal platform for connecting globally to others…We’ve overcome the budget restrictions of recording music, by producing the tracks ourselves. As for creative differences, we know each other well enough to say whether we think an idea is rubbish. Basically if we don’t like an idea then we usually won’t use it until we are both happy with it.”

“Yeah,” says, Jack, “Smoky Robinson beat me to ‘Tracks of my Tears’. We are just two normal blokes going through the same things as anyone else our age. We go out drinking with our friends, we fall in love, we get up to no good. We write about all that stuff. Nothing clever or out of the ordinary,” he adds. “But then most songs aren’t about anything ‘out of the ordinary and it’s exactly this that makes them accessable and resonate with listeners.”

So what are the plans for the future? Is it true they turned down an opportunity to appear on the Voice TV show? “We didn’t want to be remembered as ‘that duo that was on The Voice’.” “We recently spent some time writing in Nashville and would love to return sometime. We love Southend but Nashville feels like our musical home.” Find out more about Rob, Jack and Holloway Road at: www.facebook.com/hollowayroadmusic

Introducing... G N I C U D RO T N I X E n BBC ESS w Words by Laura Bro

e sat down with BBC Essex radio presenter, Ollie WB to find out the ins and outs of the Introducing show and discover a little bit more about the man behind the mic. BBC Introducing in Essex is one over 30 Introducing shows broadcast across the UK. Unsigned bands and artists can upload their music to the BBC Introducing website for potential airtime on their regional BBC radio station. Once an artist has appeared on a local Introducing show, they may also be featured on national BBC Radio, which could include airtime and support from BBC Radio One, 1Xtra, 6 music and many more. Acts could even get a spot to perform at major festivals like Reading, Leeds or Glastonbury. Pretty cool right? Ollie explains, “There are so many platforms an artist can choose to try and raise the profile of their music. Shows like Britain’s Got Talent, The Voice and X Factor can work really well for some people and it’s up to the individual artist which one they choose, and for many acts, Introducing is the

medium they choose and I think the Introducing brand helps maintain a high degree of artistic credibility.” Getting into Radio for Ollie was a mixture of hard work, passion and great timing. When he was just 16 years old Ollie set up a record company which was funded by Southend Council’s Fixit Fund. With £2000 worth of funding under his belt, Ollie set out to create a compilation album which he titled, ‘Sounds of Southend’. He was invited on the BBC Essex breakfast to chat about the project. “I went in shaking, I was incredibly nervous.” What he didn’t realise was the station’s Managing Editor, Gerald Main, was listening in on his drive to work and was so impressed by what he heard that he pulled over on the A127, rang the studio and live over the airwaves, offered Ollie a 3 month trial on a new show to promote unsigned acts. Of course Ollie accepted and recently celebrated BBC Essex Introducing’s seventh birthday. But does it ever get boring? “I’m always excited about my job. I love doing what I do. It’s an enormous privilege that I get to play music I like for. It’s also an honour that people continue to listen. A definite highlight about the job telling a band they’ve been chosen to play at a major festival or event. It’s a great feeling delivering good news!”

www.southendymca.org.uk

The Novelty @ The Asylum A band review by Holly Ambrose

So, what advice would Ollie offer would-be radio presenters?? ”Be approachable and friendly. If you want to present a show you need to be able to engage listeners. Practise by making demo’s of radio shows too and listen to them as critically as you can then when you feel confident enough, do a showreel demo of about three minutes long, put it up somewhere like Soundcloud or YouTube and start sending the links out. You could volunteer for hospital radio or even do a regular online show as this can be a good way of testing the water and developing your presenting skills.”

After having formed just eight months ago, Essex born rock-band, “The Novelty” are already having quite an impact on the local music scene. With the release of their first EP underway and only a handful of gigs under their belt, the five piece may still be finding their feet. However, when I went along to watch them perform at The Asylum club in Chelmsford and chat to drummer Michael Barnes, no one would have guessed it was only the second time the band had played to a live audience...

We asked Ollie to describe Southend’s music scene. “If you go into Southend it’s quite dark in places, it’s very underground, there’s a definite leaning towards all things housey and techy. Listening to the BBC Essex Introducing show will definitely give you a broader insight into the local scene.”

After the two guitarists, friends Joe Obuchowski and Jake Schneider put an ad online looking for members for a new alternative rock band they were overwhelmed by the response. With Michael joining in October 2013, a lead vocalist and bass guitarist was still missing from the line up. “We had some awful auditions,” Michael joked. “Someone played my drum kit so hard he almost broke everything!” After months of searching Marc and Ellie later joined. Writing all their own music and practicing in Michael’s soundproof studio at his home in Rayleigh, “The Novelty” are already proving dedicated to getting their name known by themselves.

So, you’ve got your band. You’ve found your sound and created your image. But how on earth do you go about getting your music at the standard needed for radio? Ollie gave us some inside tips on how to get your band radio ready. For the show Ollie likes to do most of the listening himself. “The first 20 seconds of a track are often crucial. I’m always on the look out for something interesting. I’m not a fan of the word ‘unique’ in a band bio — unless you’re playing Mozart on a Peruvian nose flute you’re probably not that unique so stick with alternative and interesting in your descriptions. Also, if you’re hoping for mainstream radio airplay, make sure your songs contain no swearing or content or anything that might offend somebody. For me, it’s all about the song, so focus on song writing, listen to different artists and genres to gain a broad musical influence. It doesn’t have to be costly as there are so many programs now available for recording that bands no longer have to spend a fortune in a studio. It’s possible to create a high quality track in your bedroom on a computer.” And what about image? How much does it matter? After we listen to music with our ears and not our eyes. “I’m always interested in what a band looks like,” says Ollie, “It’s quite a nice way to get know an artist and see their personalities expressed through their image as well as their music. Ultimately though, for me, image is secondary to music and would never influence my decision on whether or not I played their tracks.” You can hear Ollie on Saturday nights at 8pm. Upload your music now to the BBC Introducing uploader at www.bbc.co.uk/introducing, and take advantage of the advice pages too!

With the stage set in a dark and dingy World War Two style bunker where the audience and band stood only metres apart; this put added pressure on members Marc, Michael, Joe, Jake and Ellie. And as any other new band could relate, the process of trying to get noticed has not always run smoothly... When bassist Ellie Brown’s guitar lead broke halfway through the set; their inexperience of performing together publicly could have ruined their act. However, masking the nerves and overcoming the setback, everyone (more so Ellie,) appeared unfazed and continued playing like true professionals as if nothing had happened. Encouraged by friends and family in the audience, Michael highlighted the importance of having a good support network when it came to playing nervewracking gigs such as The Asylum. “We’re all from musical backgrounds and our parents and families are our biggest fans and come to our shows.” The audiences positive reaction spurred the band on through their half an hour slot; and it was apparent that the confidence of lead singer Marc Bartholomew had escalated hugely even in such a short space of time as he engaged with his audience instead of just merely singing at them. If you’re interested in seeing this exciting new band live or want to find out more about them, visit their Facebook page, “TheNoveltyUK.”

You can get in touch with BBC Introducing in Essex by emailing: essex.introducing@bbc.co.uk and connect with Ollie on twitter @Olliewb 13

E H T N O S ’ G N THE WRITI — Kelsey Hibberd STONEWALL 2014 saw the UK celebrate the very first same-sex marriage and a massive step in the right direction towards sexuality and gender identity equality. However many LGBT charities across the United Kingdom including Stonewall, the UK’s leading sexuality charity has found that the new law is only a few important steps closer to the finish line, but we’ve still got a long way to go. Stonewall’s Youth Co-ordinator Wayne Dhesi explains how there’s still ‘Lots To Do’... I love going to work every day knowing that I’m making a real difference to people’s lives. I feel very lucky to work for an organisation where everyone shares the same determination, motivation and passion for lesbian, gay and bisexual equality. I’ve worked with young people for most of my adult life and I struggled with coming out as gay throughout a lot of my teenage years, so the Youth Coordinator role was perfect for me. My job involves empowering future generations to make positive changes in their communities to make life better for lesbian, gay and bisexual people – how could I not love my job?! Who does your charity target in order to remedy the inequalities that LGBT people face? Stonewall works with people at home, at school and at work in many different ways to try and achieve equality and justice for lesbian, gay and bisexual people. We carry out research and develop policy that helps to reduce discrimination, provide information to individuals and organisations and have we have successfully lobbied for legal change. We also work directly with schools, colleges and workplaces to effect positive change in these environments. We work internationally with activists in countries such as Russia, India and Uganda to help them draw on our wide experiences of running domestic campaigns in a way that works for them. From an insider’s perspective, how much progress in the LGBT community have charities like Stonewall made? Stonewall was set up in 1989 by a small group of activists who wanted to challenge an offensive piece of legislation designed to prevent the so-called ‘promotion’ of homosexuality in schools – section 28. In 2003 the legislation was repealed largely due to groups like Stonewall lobbying effectively. Further legal equality followed and helped to change the landscape in Britain for LGB people. Stonewall now employs around 70 staff and has hundreds of volunteers without whom we would not be able to make the progress that we have done. Charities like Stonewall are essential in securing equality and social change.

How much further does society have to progress in order for the LGBT community to achieve ‘full’ equality? In terms of legal equality for lesbian, gay and bisexual people, marriage was really the last challenge. However, just because LGB people are now equal in the eyes of the law it doesn’t mean that our work is done. Our focus now is firmly on changing hearts and minds. We know that people are still afraid to come out at work and young people continue to get bullied at school for being different. We are extremely proud of what Stonewall has achieved over the past 25 years but we know that there is still lots to do. If someone isn’t a member of the LGBT community but supports it, is there anything they can do to help the journey to equality for LGBT people? To give an example, in schools it’s often the LGBT teachers who take on the mantle of tackling homophobic bullying. We encourage other staff in schools and workplaces to get involved too – homophobic bullying doesn’t just affect LGBT people, so it shouldn’t be just them who have to tackle it. Our Youth Volunteering Programme is open to people of all sexualities who are passionate about challenging homophobia. You don’t have to be an animal to support animal rights so why would you have to be lesbian, gay or bisexual to support lesbian, gay and bisexual equality?! There are many ways people can get involved in improving the lives of lesbian, gay and bisexual people in their community. Our Youth Volunteering Programme is open to anyone aged 16 to 21 and equips participants with the skills, resources and confidence to run anti-homophobia campaigns in their schools, colleges and local areas. We are all role models whether we like it or not so it is important that we are aware of our influence regarding the language we use and how we behave. For instance, when we use the word ‘gay’ to describe something that is unfashionable, broken or stupid it has a harmful effect on those people who hear it who may be LGBT themselves or have LGBT friends or family. There are many LGBT groups, most of which welcome the interest and support of straight members. You can also become involved in projects like Loud Education in Essex, which was founded by Stonewall Youth Volunteers. They go into schools to educate around the issues of homophobic bullying as well as creating a safe community for young people of any sexuality. For further information see: www.youngstonewall.org.uk and visit Loud at: https://www.facebook.com/LOUDeducation

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which many feel is consistently under-represented in politics today.

any of us young people feel we are not listened to and that , ‘politicians don’t care about us.’ ‘I don’t see the point in voting.’ . But as much as you may think that your vote doesn’t matter, it does.

Every day decisions are made on our behalf at all levels of government. All kinds of decisions range from what leisure facilities we have and how to tackle bullying in local schools, to wider issues such as animal rights and the environment. Lots of these issues affect us young people, but for some of these issues, it can be unclear on whose responsibility it is. When these decisions are made, our elected councillors and MPs, who represent the people living in their areas at different levels, are there to put our views across. Even if we do not vote for them, they have a duty to represent us. So it comes to an election and you do not know who to vote for? Most young people are not experts on politics, in fact a majority of people have difficulty understanding politics and how it affects us. It’s easy to believe that “all politicians are the same”, but take a look at their policies and each one has slightly different views. There are now very easy ways to find out what these politicians are representing. Even a quick search on Google or Twitter can often tell you what your political candidates are fighting for. Voting is also now quicker and easier than ever, but why should we do it?

By getting involved in decision making, you will help the government to hear the voice of the young people; a voice

Whilst many would think that we are switched off from politics, young people are more interested in local and public issues than we often realise. For instance, we rely on public services such as transport and schools, yet often we have no influence over policies which affect our lives. However, it is not untrue that young people today are less inclined to participate in party politics. In reality it is not our fault, we are busy and often do not have the time to find our polling station, let alone travel there and vote. But by not voting, we are letting our opinions get cast aside. Politicians will often look at voting figures, and by aiming to please those ages most likely to vote, they increase their chances of winning an election. If young people don’t vote, politicians will be less inclined to improve conditions for us.

It is not always easy knowing where to start with politics, and it is not always easy for a new voter to go to the polling station and cast their vote. But once it is done, it is very easy to do again. Voting is one of the most powerful ways to make our voices heard, and by encouraging our fellow young people to vote, we can persuade politicians to take more notice. There are some places in our world, ruled by dictators and rigid regimes where people risk their lives to have their voices heard — all we have to do is place a X on a piece of paper in a ballot box so let’s not waste this precious opportunity.

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Do you use social media? Most of us do. So, what sort of stuff do you post up? Pics of a night out or of yourself on holiday? Maybe it’s a shot of yourself in a fab new outfit or cuddling your new adorable kitten from Planet Cutesville? How about your status update? Funny story about the weekend, a recent achievement, excitement about tickets you managed to get for your favourite band’s gig or an acknowledgement and thanks to your mum for cooking a gorgeous Sunday roast (leaving out the argument you had with your sister over the pudding of course)!

When did you last read, “I’m so upset because I wasn’t invited to so-and-so’s party.” Or “I feel my friends are all progressing better with their lives than I am.” Comparison is the thief of joy. You post your ‘best bits’ and so does everyone else so if your dissatisfaction results from comparing your life to the lives you THINK you friends are having, then stop right there! Let me tell you, your mates feel just like you do! And they may even feel a bit inadequate when comparing their lives to yours!

If people assessed our lives based on our social network updates, they’d probably think our lives were a lot more exciting and fun than they actually are.

Katie Roosten writes: “Have you ever felt that everyone around seems happy, content and sailing through life without ever falling on their face, whilst you feel you the complete opposite? Things are a struggle, you feel low about yourself, your surroundings and your accomplishments?

What we present on social networks are our ‘best bits’, the edited versions of our lives with the worries, fears and boring stuff usually omitted or at least re-framed and presented as more entertaining.

For me, the worst part about feeling this way, even just for a brief moment, is that I doubt how ‘normal ’ I am. After all if everyone else is managing to be ‘happy’, why can’t I?

We may write and upload, “Dropped my phone down the loo, whoops butter-fingers,” but inside we are crying, “Aaargh, all my contacts, diary, banking, photo’s, music – my life has literally just gone down the pan. Let me at the chocolate!”

But it’s completely ‘normal’ and natural to feel out of sorts sometimes. Believe it or not, we are all feel a little blue every now and again and it is absolutely, ok to not be ok. There’s nothing wrong with you and you’re not going mad if you sometimes feel a bit low, a bit inadequate, anxious, lonely or sad.

After all, who posts, “I’ve just done some dusting and am about to have a banana sandwich?” Well, there may be people posting statuses like that but they’re probably not your friends right? How often do you see ‘real’ feelings on display?

If anyone asked, ‘Is sadness a natural human emotion?’ The answer would of course be a resounding ‘yes’ so why do we feel the need to deny it in ourselves? Let’s give ourselves permission to be down-in-the-dumps sometimes. It is 100% ok to not be ok sometimes.

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As Elizabeth Gilbert says in her book ‘Eat, Pray, Love’, “Do not apologize for crying. Without this emotion, we are only robots.’ It is human to feel emotion, it is human to struggle with things and it is also human to need and ask for help Unhappiness is not an unnatural state, even if we are lead to believe it is by the media and society. It’s probably more abnormal to be constantly on top of the world. Feeling a little low actually gives us an opportunity to reevaulate our lives and where we’re at. There isn’t necessarily always a cause we can pin point either. It could be hormonal or an underlying subconscious worry or even something we’ve seen on the news or a change of season. Don’t beat yourself up cos you don’t seem as upbeat as you think you should. Recently I heard the expression, ‘count your own blessings instead of other peoples.’ And I think this is really good advice. It’s easy to think about what we don’t have rather than on what we do have.” If feeling down persists, it may be worth seeking help. Advice from the N.H.S website says: A low mood that doesn’t go away can be a sign of depression. Symptoms of depression can include the following: • continuous low mood or sadness • feeling hopeless and helpless • having low self-esteem • feeling tearful • feeling guilt-ridden • feeling irritable and intolerant of others • having no motivation or interest in things • finding it difficult to make decisions

• • •

not getting any enjoyment out of life having suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming yourself feeling anxious or worried

Getting help Whatever the cause, if negative feelings don’t go away, are too much for you to cope with, or are stopping you from carrying on with your normal life, you may need to make some changes and get some extra support. “We all know what it feels like to be down,” says Professor David Richards, professor of mental health services research at the University of Exeter. “Most people who feel low will start to feel better after a few days or weeks. But if these feelings persist or get in the way of everyday life, it’s time to seek help.” If you’re still feeling down or anxious after a couple of weeks, talk to your GP or call NHS 111. A GP will be able to discuss your symptoms with you and make a diagnosis. Seek help immediately If you start to feel like your life isn’t worth living, get help straight away. Either see your GP or call NHS 111. You can also contact helplines such as Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 for confidential, non-judgemental emotional support. What many people do not understand is that there can be worry carried in your heart but not on your face. Let’s be kind to ourselves and other people. We never know what’s in each other’s hearts.

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