The Next Step...

So last week I went on camera to talk about my #SaveTheDal campaign, politics, how to defeat bullies, how to deal with negativity and what message I would give young people.

I will make sure to share the video when it is posted online, I think young people have a lot to learn from the likes of myself. I have been through a massive amount of negativity coming from all different directions and I'm still standing strong.

"Fitting In"

I understand that there is massive amounts of pressure to be put on young people these days, to look good, to have the best, to be popular. Massive amounts of peer pressure is being thrown onto the youth of today, to "fit in" and this is only going to cause chaos, because what exactly is fitting in?

When I was in secondary school, I didn't exactly fit in, I always had different interests to the majority, I wanted to play football, I wanted to be a mechanic, I wanted to start modelling and these are not "normal" interests for a young girl from a small town to be thinking. How dare I? 

But what I can say is that, I did everything I wanted to - I didn't listen to the people telling me to fit in, I didn't listen to peer pressure, I was myself and I still behave in the way I want, I cannot apologise for not conforming to what other people see as their "normal", but can anyone answer me, what exactly is normal?

I find it disgusting how the youth of today are made to feel just because they have their own interests and differences than the majority. There is no such thing as normal.

I have younger girls who look up to me, I have young family whom I am worried about living in a society like today's, who are afraid of change, who are scared of people who step out, break the mold, so they attack it. I have had so many people attack me because I don't conform. But I never will, so they should just stop while they're ahead. Anytime a young person asks me advice, I will always take the time to try and help them. I also give advice to people the same age as me, and older (I don't discriminate).

Peer Pressure

I understand that growing up people are under extreme peer pressure now, and one type of peer pressure that I know a lot about, is the pressure to try new things - Sex, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs! These are all things I am very aware that goes on in todays society, which has always went on and always will happen. This is something I feel passionate about and something I want to help with.

I know I am very good at talking about subjects people feel they can't mention, and therefore I believe I am the right candidate to talk about this, also seeing as I have first hand experience of drug and alcohol misuse.

Everyone who knows me, knows my take on drugs - my brother was a drug addict, I have experienced drugs ruining families, relationships, friendships and I have watched my brother throw his life away because of drugs. Living in a small town, I see younger and younger people now experimenting with drugs, and it is such a pity. They don't realise what they are doing, they think it's cool, it's fun, it will make them "fit in". It won't... 

Drugs do nothing but give you a false reality, they ruin your life, the way you look, the way you perceive things. People will always experiment with drugs and will take drugs, this isn't something that can be changed, because no matter what is set in place - people seem to end up getting their hands on more and more drugs.

I plan to challenge young people, they are the youth generation and what our world is going to have to deal with when my generation is gone and the generations before me, so they need to be educated. Educated in school, educated in life, educated in substance misuse, something that is so common nowadays, so common that it's scary.

I believe with my knowledge and experience of seeing a loved ones life get swept away with drug and alcohol misuse, that I would be the perfect person to speak to younger generations on drug abuse, about "fitting in", about how to deal with bullies and how to be happy in your skin.

Stormont

I plan to head to Stormont on Monday 8th December, with DUP Councillor Luke Poots to meet with and talk to the policing board on how I can challenge this issue.

Luke and I have grown a great business relationship so I plan to work closely with him to try and challenge this issue, my plan is to get talking to young people from all different backgrounds, share my experiences and hopefully help some people with what they are dealing with.

Obviously my main focus is the drug issue in towns, rural areas and cities, alcohol abuse and bullying, but I also plan to help young people in many different ways. I know Luke helps with a lot of different charities, some of them being: Savia, Fields of Life, Marie Curie Lisburn-Hillsborough and the Deborah Project.

Luke has helped set up a home for drug addicts in his constituency through the free Presbyterian Church, this is such an admirable thing to do and I look forward to working with him on the many different projects I will be taking on throughout my time spent in this field, and I intend to make it a long time. 

This won't go away today or tomorrow, but with the help of DUP Councillor Luke Poots and the help of many others, I believe we can make a start today and try our hardest to change things for the better.