Marking anti bullying week, one teen who overcame his fair share of ridicule and taunting has spoken out, letting others know they have the power to do the same.

Running from November 16-20, the Anti Bullying Alliance’s campaign inspires positivity and support for many who have fallen victim to the horrific act of bullying.

This year, the team is urging everyone to come together to tackle one common challenge – taking inspiration from all those who have pulled together during Covid-19 – with the theme of United Against Bullying.

After seeing a huge shift into the virtual world as protection from coronavirus, anti bullying groups have also recorded an increase in cyber-bullying – with 24% of children now expected to experience the online form of attack, according to YouGov.

And 17-year-old Oliver Hodgson is desperate to see an end to bullying, and victims break through to be the shining stars they are.

Round-the-clock bullying during his school life left the Gosforth teen feeling isolated, confused and devastated, with the constant worry of how the upset was damaging his mental health.

So in 2019, he made the decision to leave education behind and take the reins on his self-started business, Platinum Live – an events management and digital communications agency.

“Education is important, qualifications are important but so are people’s feelings and state of mind,” Oliver said.

“I’ve experienced years of off and online bullying in various forms – slanderous graffiti in the toilet cubicles, being spat at as I walked through the corridors and vile forms of online bullying, that my mum couldn’t avoid seeing.

“I knew for my mental health, I would have to remove myself from school – and trust that I could still map out a successful life in my own way.”

Since taking the leap, the managing director couldn’t be happier, and he hopes to break the stigma of putting your mental health first.

And while leaving school may not be the best option for everyone, Oliver wants everyone to know there are other options, and taking happiness into your own hands is never a bad thing.

He said: “The stigma around leaving school has to go – especially when mental health is at stake.

“Our generation is a conscious one, and more should be done in schools to encourage a new way of doing things, rather than adding the pressure of making us feel that a degree is the only way to go, particularly with schools closing all over the county and bullying still on the rise.”