Topic: Relationships

Understanding Addiction: Alcohol – Sarah (not her real name) had a positive upbringing with a close family unit, and she excelled at primary school. But when she started secondary school, she started getting bullied and decided to bully those people right back. It led her down a dark path, mixing with the wrong crowds and letting her school work slide. Then she started drinking alcohol, and things got much, much worse. But with the right help, she turned her life around. Watch her share her story now. Her film is unique in the series: Sarah didn’t want to tell her story on camera, so her exact words are voiced by an actor and portrayed on screen via animation (by Anh Cao).

There are three fact sheets and three lesson plans that you can use alongside the nine addiction films, which includes the introduction film, seven interviews (each focused on a different type of addiction) and a law film. Please also read the attached guidance and teacher notes that offer support and resources for young people who may already be experiencing addiction in their lives or homes.

If you are affected by any of the content on screen or would like to know more, please visit the website of charity We Are With You, who are based across the UK.

https://www.helpfordependency.co.uk/

https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/

https://www.drugsand.me/en/

Understanding Addiction: Alcohol

Video length - 07.44

Published date - Sep 2021

Keystage(s) - 3, 4 and 5

Understanding Addiction: Cannabis – Cannabis is the most popular illegal drug in the UK, and smoking it before the age of 18 is particularly dangerous for your mental health, as Dean testifies in this film. He began smoking it when he was only 12 years old, and it contributed to numerous psychological issues. But with the right help, he turned his life around. Watch him share his story now.

If you are affected by any of the content on screen or would like to know more, please visit these websites:

https://www.helpfordependency.co.uk/

https://www.drugsand.me/en/

Understanding Addiction: Cannabis

Video length - 04.52

Published date - Sep 2021

Keystage(s) - 3, 4 and 5

Downloadable resources

Understanding Addiction: Steroids – Jack was bullied as a child and experienced traumas at home that made him want to bulk up and get muscular. He also enjoyed the attention of the opposite sex and having strangers comment on his physique. But he could never get big enough and soon became emotionally dependent on steroids. But with the right help, he turned his life around. Watch him share his story now.

If you are affected by any of the content on screen or would like to know more, please visit the website of the Alcohol and Drug Service, run in conjunction with the NHS, who operate The Juice Bar in the Hull area. Other similar services can be found across the UK if you search online.

https://www.helpfordependency.co.uk/

http://www.ads-uk.org/thejuicebar

https://www.drugsand.me/en/

Understanding Addiction: Steroids

Video length - 05.55

Published date - Sep 2021

Keystage(s) - 3, 4 and 5

Understanding Addiction: Prescription Drugs – Paul started experiencing pains in his hip due to a medical condition when he was only 14. He was prescribed codeine but as his tolerance grew and the pain worsened, he moved on to morphine. But his usage went far beyond what doctors recommended, and he experienced a series of tragedies that he wanted to mask. This led to him becoming dependent on opioids. But with the right help, he turned his life around. Watch him share his story now.

If you are affected by any of the content on screen or would like to know more, please visit the website of charity We Are With You, who are based across the UK. Paul says they saved his life.

https://www.helpfordependency.co.uk/

https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/

https://www.drugsand.me/en/

Understanding Addiction: Prescription Drugs

Video length - 06.06

Published date - Sep 2021

Keystage(s) - 3, 4 and 5

Understanding Addiction – The first film in our series of nine is an introduction to the concept of addiction, explaining the science behind it, presenting key words, and featuring select moments from interviews with seven people who have each been exposed to a different type of addiction. This film covers the original reasons why their addictions spiralled, the effects on the individuals and their loved ones, and how recovery saved their lives.

If you are affected by any of the content on screen, or would like to know more, please visit the websites of the various charities and organisations who helped bring these films to life:

https://www.helpfordependency.co.uk/

https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/

https://www.stgeorgescrypt.org.uk/

http://www.ads-uk.org/thejuicebar

https://adfam.org.uk/

https://www.drugsand.me/en/

https://www.collectivevoice.org.uk/

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/drug-addiction-getting-help/

http://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/

Understanding Addiction

Video length - 08.24

Published date - Sep 2021

Keystage(s) - 3, 4 and 5

Nick Brewer Talks Commitment – Using the stimulus of a poem by rapper and spoken word artist Nick Brewer, pupils are given the opportunity to consider their own values and commitments, the benefits of those commitments, and what they would like to commit to in the future. Made with Fastn.

Nick Brewer Talks Commitment

Video length - 02.59

Published date - Apr 2021

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Downloadable resources

Commitment and Families – What is commitment? What does commitment look like for different families? Produced in partnership with Fastn, four families discuss their relationships.

Commitment and Families

Video length - 08.44

Published date - Jan 2021

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Downloadable resources

Doreen’s War: Keep Smiling Through – Doreen was only 8 years old when World War 2 began. While many children were evacuated from London’s east end, Doreen stayed with her family in Plaistow and was homeschooled – even during the deadly Blitz between 1940 and 1941. Her best friend Marjorie had been evacuated to a different part of the country, but their relationship stayed strong and they’re still friends 75 years later.

Just before VE Day in 2020, this interview with Doreen recounting her memories of WW2 was recorded during lockdown conditions due to the coronavirus. Doreen compares how the nation felt then to how it feels during the pandemic.

This film includes an accompanying worksheet that can be used by pupils.

Doreen’s War: Keep Smiling Through

Video length - 04.32

Published date - May 2020

Keystage(s) - 2 and 3

Downloadable resources

Belong – Many children and young people have to move to a new school, a new city, or a new country. In this film, young people describe how it feels to start a new life and find a new home.

Courtesy of Coram.

This film was co-produced by Coram Life Education and Coram Young Citizens, an ambassador programme for young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds. Free lesson and assembly plans exploring the theme of belonging can be found on their site here.

Belong

Video length - 04.58

Published date - Mar 2020

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Just Me – “I’m just me… It’s like coming up for air.”

As Jaz and Charlie make a final attempt to keep their relationship alive, one of them comes out as non-binary (meaning they don’t identify as a boy or a girl), sparking a conversation that will change them both forever.

A film by Adam Tyler.

Starring Ffion Evans and Sam Buchanan.

Shortlisted for Best British Short at the Iris Prize Festival 2020 which celebrates the very best in current LGBT+ short and feature filmmaking.

Advice for young people who are thinking about gender identity can be found at the following sites:

Childline

Brook

Gendered Intelligence