Milly’s Fund launches safety video
MPs are to watch a safety video that was commissioned by the parents of the murdered teenager, Milly Dowler, later today in the House of Commons.
The video is aimed at showing teenagers how to plan their personal safety and will be given to every school in the UK.
The video is entitled ‘Watch Over Me’ and takes the form of a five-part soap opera. The stories on the video are based on people’s real life experiences and hopes to help young people to develop a better sense of themselves.
Milly Dowler’s parents set up the charity, Milly’s Fund, after the death of their 13-year-old daughter last year. In March 2002 Milly disappeared whilst walking home from school in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, her body was discovered six months later in Yateley Heath Woods in Hampshire.
Mrs Sally Dowler stated, ‘The soap opera is unique as a teaching resource because it’s not text-based and uses dramatic scenarios to get young people to think about the broad range of personal safety issues they face.’
The video will be launched in the House of Commons later today. The launch is excepted to see the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, the Education and Skills Secretary, Charles Clarke, actress Lynda Bellingham, who is in the video and Chris Tarrant who is patron of the Fund.
In a statement on the Milly’s Fund website, Bob and Sally Dowler commented, “The challenge for us is to find a way of getting teenagers to learn to be independent and learn to know about the risks – but not to be frightened. Finding an innovative way of delivering that message is the excitement of doing this project.”
