Film encourages positive approach to friendships  

A new film that promotes healthy friendships has launched on koko, the Girls' Brigade Ministries' multi-award winning blog for teenage girls 

The film, called I’ve Got Your Back, calls on teenage girls to encourage each other and build one another up, and features 30 young women from Stockport School. 

It launched at the spring conference for Girls’ Brigade (GB) leaders on Saturday (7 March 2015) as part of a special session looking at feuds, fun and friendship among girls - led by Rachel Gardner, National President of GB and founder of the Romance Academy.

It came about through an awareness that girls’ friendships can be pretty toxic and destructive, explained koko Project Co-ordinator Meg Cannon.

‘We wanted to produce a piece which would challenge and inspire teenage girls towards a more positive approach to friendship,' she said. 'The reality is, we can all make an effort to be kinder, more generous and caring and as the film says “It starts with you”.

‘We hope this film will create a ripple effect with teenage girls across the UK and beyond as we explore what healthy friendships look like.’




The group of Stockport School pupils from Years 7 to 11, who helped with research for the film, are featured in it and their words were used in the script.

Meg added, ‘In February koko took assemblies for Years 7, 8 and 9 at the school. I had lots of conversations with the girls about friendships and heard stories which I wove into the spoken word piece used in the film.

‘Each girl brings so much power to the film… I still get goose bumps every time I see it. It was an absolutely pleasure to spend time with them on the day of the shoot – they totally nailed it.’

The film can be seen at www.thekokostory.com/2015/03/07/ive-got-your-back/ – within the koko site. Everything on the innovative site, from Girls’ Brigade Ministries, is created with teenage girls firmly in mind to help them explore life together – inspiring, challenging and encouraging them – and looking at tough issues. The site has won a number of awards.
 

koko stands for Keep On Keeping On and you’ll find it at www.thekokostory.com, as well as on Twitter (@thekokostory) and Facebook (facebook.com/thekokostory).