A FILMMAKER has teamed up with a charity to highlight young people s perceptions of counselling. The 20-minute film, called Help!, is a collaboration between theatre practitioner and filmmaker Mark O Sullivan and the Women s Counselling Centre, a charity

A FILMMAKER has teamed up with a charity to highlight young people's perceptions of counselling.

The 20-minute film, called Help!, is a collaboration between theatre practitioner and filmmaker Mark O'Sullivan and the Women's Counselling Centre, a charity which provides counselling for women and young people across North Herts.

With a grant from the Local Network Fund they were able to get together a group of teenagers to write, research and perform in the film which was made in and around Hitchin.

The film features information about counselling from a variety of organisations such as Childline, youngminds.org and Hertfordshire County Council. It was premiered earlier this year at Hitchin's Sun Hotel.

It has now been put on DVD and is to be distributed to schools and organisations who work with young people. Hitchin Boys School was the first to receive a copy.

Mr O'Sullivan said: "I've always enjoyed working with young people and I felt this project could have very positive and far-reaching effects.

"It became very clear, whilst working on the project, that many young people aren't aware of what counselling is, what it does, or even that it exists. This means there are countless teenagers trying to cope on their own with very complex problems and issues.

"There's nothing weak or stupid about seeing a counsellor - it doesn't make you mad or bad. That's the message of the film."

Initially Mr O'Sullivan and the counselling centre produced 50 DVDs but they have all gone and more are currently being made.

A short version of the film can be seen at www.markosullivan.co.uk