Menu

School Zone - Life Links

Let's face it; choosing careers and courses isn't always the number one priority. It's hard to focus on the future when you have more pressing and immediate worries. Sometimes you need to tackle other issues first before you can even begin to plan ahead. The aim of this section is to help you link up with specialist organisations that are there to support you if you need advice and information on any of a whole range of issues that can affect your life in general, your learning and your future.

One of the most important things to remember is that it's not just you (although it usually feels as if it is). Everyone needs help and support at some time, whether it's with something fairly straightforward like study skills or something much more serious like bullying or depression. Don't suffer in silence, speak to someone.

IssueLinksLeafletsHelpline
Bullying
Anti Bullying Network
Childline: Bullying
Coast Kids (age 10+)
BBC Newsround Bullying site (primary school +)
Teacher Net
Kidscape
Let's Stop Bullying resource pack (2005)
You can beat bullying - A guide for young people

Anti-bullying information sheets include: Cyber-bullying, About Bullying, Reacting to Bullying.
Childline: 0800 44 11 11 (a bullying helpline open from 3.30pm to 9.30pm, Monday to Friday)

The Kidscape Helpline is available at a local rate on 08451 205 204 Monday-Friday from 10.00am-4.00pm.
Carers
Coalition Of Carers In Scotland
Carers Scotland
Young Carers Initiative
Carers UK
91 Mitchell Street
Glasgow,
G1 2LN

Tel. 0141 221 9141
Carers UK
CarersLine: 0808 808 7777 (Wednesdays and Thursdays 10.00am - 12.00pm and 2.00pm - 4.00pm) or email info@carersuk.org
Citizenship
Citizenship Foundation
G-Nation
Red Box
BBC Scotland Education's Citizenship Site (Using Democracy)
Crime
Childrens Hearing
Apex Scotland
Victims of Crime Scotland
Victim Support Scotland
A range of printed leaflets available from Victim Support Scotland Scottish Victim Support Helpline 0845 603 9213

Monday - Thursday 9.00am - 4.30pm
Friday 9.00am - 4.00pm
Disabilities
National Deaf Childrens Society
RNIB Scotland
Capabiliity Scotland
Speech Impairment Support
Sort it! (RNIB site for 11-16 year olds with sight problems)
Skill: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities
Down's Syndrome Scotland
Skill Information Service Helpline: 0800 328 5050 (Mon-Thurs 1.30pm-4.30pm) or email admin@skillscotland.org.uk

NDCS Freephone Helpline: 0808 800 8880 (voice or text)
Drugs
Know The Score
Scottish Drugs Forum
Talk to Frank
LifeBytes: Drugs (information for 11-14 year olds)
Wired Initiative
Drugs: What Every Parent Should Know (from the Know the Score site) Know The Score Helpline 0800 587 5879

National Drugs Helpline 0800 77 66 00

(Both 24 hours)
Drinking
Alcohol Focus Scotland
Al-anon and Alateen Offices
Young Booze Busters (GEAAP website)
Alcoholics Anonymous - National Helpline 0845 76 97 555

Healthy Eating, Food and Nutrition
National Centre for Eating Disorders
Eatwell (Food Standards Agency)
Take Life On
Food: A Fact of Life
Chew on This (British Nutrition Foundation; 11-14 yrs)
Diabetes UK - My life (children, teens, young adults)
Beating Eating Disorders (BEAT) UK
Childline - Eating Problems
BBC NI Its up to you (Rosie's healthy eating and fitness project; ages 7-9)
Teen Weightwise (maintained by the British Diabetic Asssociation)
Equality
Disability Rights Task Force
Engender
Anti-sectarianism
Works4me (Equal Opportunities microsite)
EqualFuturz (interactive resources for S1-S4 pupils on gender equality issues)
Equality and Human Rights Commission
U-18 Anti sectarianism (Learning Teaching Scotland)
EOC Helpline 0845 601 5901
Ethnic Minorities
Asylum Support
CARIS (for children and young people who are asylum seekers or refugees)
Real Histories Directory (events, publications and resources relating to race relations and cultural diversity)
Brit Kid
Diverse Routes ( routes into higher education for asylum seekers, refugees and new migrants)
BEMIS (Black and Ethnic Minorities Infrastructure Scotland)
Scottish Refugee Council
Women's Groups and Resources
Scottish Business Women
Engender
Rape Crisis Scotland
Scottish Womens Aid
Amina - The Muslim Women's Resource Centre
Sex and Power Scotland 2008 (Women's representation in government)
Dometic Abuse Helpline - 0800 027 1234

Amina Muslim Women's Helpline: 0808 801 0301

Meridian Black and Ethnic Women's Information and Support Centre,
30 Clyde Place,
Glasgow,
G5 8AQ
Tel: 0141 429 6034

Threshold (Women): 0808 808 6000
Exams, Homework and Study Skills
Childline: Exam Stress
Exam Revision: Standard Grades
Exam Revision: Higher Grades
My Study Guide
HSN.uk.net (Notes for Higher Maths, Chemistry, Economics, Info Systems and Business Management)
BBC Bitesize (Standard Grade PE materials)
Beat Exam Stress (downloadable leaflet, Childline/NSPCC)
Study Skills (Learning Teaching Scotland)
Homework High (Channel 4)
South Ayrshire Homework Club
Student Life: Schools (BBC)
Study Skills for Dyslexic Students
Health - Emotional and Mental Wellbeing
Channel 4: Health
Mental Health
Young Minds
Breathing Space (Mental Health)
Well on the web (Mental Health)
Headroom - Cubby House (Australian site, explores common mental health problems; games and activities; age 6 to 12)
Talking2ourselves (mental health issues for young people aged 12 to 14)
Stress and Anxiety in Teenagers (Help to identify the signs and symptoms of stress and practical steps to help you deal with it)
Depression in Teenagers (Activities to help you spot the signs of depression plus self-help tips and sources of advice)
Positive Pete on bebo (site promoting positive mental health)
BBC Headroom Mind Spa (explore your mental wellbeing with Mind Spa)
Heads Up Scotland (National Project for Children and Young People's Mental Health)
See Me Scotland Campaign
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (Student Health leaflet)
Young People and Anxiety (Anxiety UK)
Head kit: tools for healthy minds in healthy bodies (young adults; mental health issues, healthscotland.com)
Cool Heads - Stress Central (healthscotland.com booklet for young adults)
BBC - Health - Bereavement
RD4U (Cruse Bereavement site for young people)
BBC Learning in Scotland - Feelings (ages 5-12)
Self Harm
National Self Harm Network
The Site (Youthnet UK; ages 16-24; wide range of health, work, leisure issues)
Penumbra (Supporting Mental Health; young people in Scotland)
Young Person's Guide: Children and Young People with Anxiety - a free information leaflet downloadable from the Anxiety UK website.


Self Harm A Childline information sheet
Breathing Space Helpline: 0800 83 85 87 (operates from 6pm to 2am every day)

Samaritans: 08457 90 90 90

Healthy Living Helpline: 08452 78 88 78

Saneline: 08457 678 000

Young Minds: 0800 018 2138

NHS Direct: 0845 46 47
Homelessness And Housing
House Mate
Citizen Advice Scotland
Scottish Council For The Single Homeless
Scottish Youth Housing Network
Young Scot: Housing
Leaving Home (information on leaving home, housing and homelessness)
Shelter Scotland (Advice for Young People)
Shelterline: 0808 800 4444
Money
Young Scot: Money
Citizens Advice: Young People, Money And Consumer Rights
Money Matters to Me
Money Sense (Royal Bank of Scotland)
The Teenager's Guide to Money (Quercus Publishing; 2007;Jonathon Self) book National debtline: 0808 808 4000
Legal Issues
Young Scot: Law
Need 2 Know
Scottish Child Law Centre
Scottish Child Law Centre:
Under 18 - 0800 328 8970
+18 - 0131 667 6333
(Mon Tues Wed & Fri 9.30am-4pm and Tuesday & Thursday 6pm-7.30pm)

Young Scot Legal Advice Centre: 0800 11 12 13
(open 24 hours)

Disability Law Centre: 020 7791 9800
Relationships And Sexuality
Healthy Respect
Young Scot: Relationships
Caledonia Youth
The Sandyford Initiative
Need 2 Know
Teenage Health Freak
BBC - The Surgery
RU thinking?
Smoking
Fast Forward (Smelly Butts leaflet)
Go Smoke Free (NHS UK)
Smelly Butts leaflet (available from Fast Forward) Smokeline Scotland (Freephone) 0800 84 84 84 12pm-12midnight (If English is not your 1st language, you can call smokeline & request your own language.)

Sport And Leisure
Sport Scotland
Facilitating Access Breaking Barriers
Duke Of Edinburgh Award
Direct Gov
BBC Sports Academy
Travel
Scottish Youth Hostels Association
Youth Rail
Young Scot: Travel
Scotrail
Traveline Scotland
Give me my card (Concessionary Travel Scheme for Young People)
Transport Scotland
Road Safety Scotland
Volunteering
Scottish Council For Voluntary Organisations
Youth Scotland
Work with Us
Volunteer Centre Network Scotland
Project Scotland (ages 16-25; volunteering)
G-Nation (UK teenagers; volunteering)
Volunteer Development Scotland
Internet Use
Young Scot: Web Safety
Be Safe Online
ChildLine: Safe Surfing
The Quality Information Checklist (QUICK) helps you to tell if websites are any good
ThinkUKnow (the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre's site)
Myguide (basic introduction to computers and internet safety)
Kidscape (advice on cyberbullying and internet safety)
Health and Safety
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
Child Accident Prevention Trust
Track Off (Railway Safety)
Children and Safety Education in Glasgow
Healthy Kids Inside Outside
The Bicycle Helmet Trust Initiative
Fire Safety Toolbox
LifeBytes: Safety (information for 11-14 year olds)
Mind, Body and Soul: Safety (information for 14-16 year olds)
Road Code
Safelearner (Health and Safety information by the Learning and Skills Council)
Core Skills
Learning and Teaching Scotland (Core Skill: Working with Others)
Junior Treck
Transition to secondary school
Kidscape: Moving Up
Moving Up 2 (DirectgovKids; English magazine but good general info)
BBC - Starting Secondary School - CBBC Newsround Guide
Student Life
Uniaid (advice on finanial issues for students; great Student Survivor multimedia game)
National Union of Students (Student Life)
Aim Higher
The Site (Youthnet UK; ages 16-24 Work and Study section)
BBC Student Life - School Issues
Employability and Job Seeking Skills
BBC Schools NI - Go get it (games, quizzes and information; ages 13-16)
Virtual Work Experience (LTS site)
Health - Physical Wellbeing
Channel 4 - Health
Boots Learning Store (Personal, Social and Health Education)
British Heart Foundation (YoungHeart for Teens)
Living with Epilepsy (Teens first for health)
Teens first for Health (Great Ormonde Street Hospital website)
Epilepsy Scotland
Asthma UK Scotland
Macmillan Cancer Support in Scotland
Children's British Heart Foundation
Teenage Health Freak
Girls on the Move (Youth Scotland)
Health Promoting Schools - Young People (LTS)
Young Scot Teen Health
Learning Support
Enquire: The Scottish Advice Service for Additional Support for Learning (Young People)
Ask Enquire (Young People's site)
Dyslexia Scotland
Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities
All about feeling down: A downloadable booklet for young people with learning disabilities (from Learning Disabilities site) (for 14-25 year olds) Enquire Helpline - 0845 123 2303