Published at 11:11, Thursday, 26 April 2012

IT can be easy to stereotype youngsters by the clothes they wear, their hairstyles or the groups they hang around in.

Young people often feel they are given a bad name as they are not listened to or are misunderstood. But there are so many difficulties they face in today’s society and these are sometimes overlooked.

Our campaign Copeland: The Next Generation aims to look at the real issues that young people have to deal with. We want to hear their concerns, pressures and worries, as well as their hopes and ambitions.

At a time when we are facing financial and emotional pressures, the younger generation face exactly the same issues. On top of that, tuition fees, apprenticeships and social pressures are at the forefront of many young people’s minds. Drugs and alcohol misuse is a major factor they have to deal with. Peer pressure is greater than ever before as teenagers have to make that choice whether to fit in or dare to be different.

We will be looking at the positive activities the next generation are involved in and to see how they want to make a difference in the world.

Ultimately our aim is to shed light on the organisations that work, day in, day out, to support our next generation and often turn lives around. They deserve the support of every one of us.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk