Membership Spotlight highlights the work of our member organisations and outlines how other individuals and NGOs can support them. Together is shining a light on respectme on International Friendship Day!

As a long-term member of Together, respectme, Scotland’s Anti-Bullying Service, is delighted to share highlights from our recent attendance at the World Anti-Bullying Forum where we launched our latest report, Start with the Heart.  Adults have a responsibility to protect children from bullying, and the ultimate purpose of respectme is to help make young lives safer, happier and free from bullying.

The World Anti-Bullying Forum in Stavanger, Norway (June 8–13), was an incredible opportunity to participate in global conversations about bullying and contribute meaningfully through our own work. A key highlight was delivering a workshop on the respectme Reward—an innovative initiative designed to assess how well local anti-bullying policy aligns with everyday practice in schools and services, and to measure the impact on children and young people.

The Forum was hosted by the Centre for Learning Environment at the University of Stavanger. In the beautiful coastal city of Stavanger—known for its natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, and progressive outlook—this international gathering had the perfect setting and a gracious host.

The Forum draws leading experts in research, educators, and advocates from around the globe, all committed to finding solutions and raising awareness around bullying. As part of this transformative event, we had the opportunity to connect with passionate individuals working to respond to bullying in every context. Our workshop on the respectme Reward allowed us to share Scotland’s unique validated self-assessment tool and explore how the tool might be adapted and replicated across different communities worldwide.

Throughout the conference, attendees could engage in a wide variety of learning formats including keynote speeches, symposia, workshops, individual oral presentations, and poster sessions—all covering a broad spectrum of topics. There were also many opportunities to network and exchange ideas with peers and pioneers in the field.

A typical conference day featured three sessions of your choice, two keynote presentations, and several breaks to connect with others. On Day One, we attended a welcome dinner at the Clarion Energy Hotel, where we enjoyed a delicious meal, entertainment by renowned Sami singer Mari Boine, and the chance to celebrate outstanding contributors in the field with an awards ceremony. On Day Two, we joined the conference dinner at Flor & Fjære—a tropical garden paradise filled with palm trees, waterfalls, sandy beaches, exotic plants, and tranquil koi ponds.

The closing ceremony celebrated hope and collective action in creating healthier lives for children and young people. It was an inspiring conclusion to a truly impactful event.

Among the many highlights of our trip, the opportunity to present our unique concept and launch our latest report stands out. On Thursday, June 12, we introduced the respectme Reward to an international audience. Our goal was to showcase this innovative and replicable self-assessment tool, which empowers schools and youth organisations to evaluate how effectively their anti-bullying policies and practices contribute to creating safe, inclusive environments.  Our workshop included:

• An introduction to respectme and its national context in Scotland
• An overview of our successful campaigns (including Anti-Bullying Week 2024)
• A review of how the reward was designed and developed
• Insights into the pilot phase
• A detailed walk-through of the five stages of the reward

We concluded by announcing the launch of our new report, Start with the Heart.

Start with the Heart explores the progress of the respectme Reward to date, highlighting the experiences of participating schools and the importance of consistent approaches to anti-bullying—focusing on prevention, response, and inclusion.

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Are you a Together organisational member and would like to collaborate for a Membership Spotlight? Email: caitlin@togetherscotland.org.uk

Consultancy and Training

Together provides training and consultancy to organisations looking to strengthen how they support children’s human rights. 

For twenty-five years, Together has been helping organisations and individuals from a range of backgrounds and roles to improve their awareness and understanding of children’s human rights in practice. This has included work on the Skills and Knowledge project, which explores what professionals need to know and apply to be able to implement children’s human rights. 

The UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 will impact public bodies, private sector organisations and third sector organisations all over Scotland, as they look to further their work on children’s rights. Together can support organisations to identify situations in which they are already implementing children’s rights in practice, alongside how they can evolve their work using a Children’s Human Rights Approach. 

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