A HARD-HITTING film about the dangers youngsters face when they run away from home has been launched in Huddersfield.
The DVD - released by children's charity Barndardo's - tells real life stories of what happens when young people go missing.
Called Lost and Found, it is an innovative teaching package which will be used by professionals across Yorkshire who work with young people.
It has been developed by Barnardo's Missing In Yorkshire service and the characters in it are specially-designed puppets filmed in several Yorkshire locations.
The puppets were created by Huddersfield-based The Wright Stuff Theatre of Puppets. The DVD is aimed at youngsters aged 13 to 16 and the puppets talk about issues based on young people's real-life and frightening experiences when they ran away from home.
It will be used by professionals who work with young people - such as teachers and social workers - to highlight the dangers of going missing and where help and advice can be found.
A Huddersfield 17-year-old called Jade who repeatedly ran away from her home in Huddersfield for over a year has played a vital role helping to develop the DVD.
She said: "I wanted to be able to help other young people and to make them see that they're not alone.
"It's been great being part of it, knowing that I'm going to be helping other kids who might be in the same situation as me.
"When I was missing I felt like I was the only one in the world this was happening to.
"When I was put in touch with Barnardo's I realised I wasn't the only one.
"Doing the DVD has made me think, though. There are other kids out there who aren't getting any help at all. I can remember how horrible that was.
"The DVD will show them there are people who want to help and they're not alone."
The young people in the DVD talk about the life-threatening issues they faced.
Fifteen-year-old Alisha escaped from a situation where she was almost forced into prostitution.
Teenager Kilo ran away from home when he was just nine years old due to his mother's drink problem.
The DVD also features clips from others affected when a young person goes missing, such as parents and friends.
The overall aim is to give anyone who may be thinking of running away the chance to think about the potentially devastating consequences.
It also features a Barnardo's worker who gives advice on what young people can do to get help if they are considering running away.
The DVD has a list of contact numbers for help.
Barnardo's Missing in Yorkshire project manager Helen West, said: "The DVD is really powerful. I'm sure it will have an effect on everyone who watches it.
"As the stories the puppets tell are based on real life events it makes them even more compelling.
"The pack that accompanies the DVD helps young people to learn about risks, how to stay safe and is an opportunity to reflect on the dangers faced by the characters.
"We hope the DVD will be an invaluable tool for teachers and offer a lifeline to young people who may be on the verge of running away from home.
"Not only does it warn young people about the dangers they could encounter, but it also suggests what young people can do and who they can go to for help and advice if they are in a difficult situation at home. "
Lost and Found teaching packages are available for professionals. Contact the Missing Service on 01484 223385.
Case study: Jade's story
SHE is now 17, but Jade was just 15 when she went missing from her Huddersfield home.
She said: "Me and my mum had been arguing a lot.
"Then there was this really big argument. I just needed to get away from it all, so that's when I first ran away.
"I went to a friend's and stayed there for the night.
"My mum came looking for me, but my friend told her to go away because I was so upset.
"Then the police came and took me home the next day. I just couldn't cope with all the arguments that kept happening, so I went on the run.
"I stayed at a different friend's house a lot, sleeping on floors, settees, anywhere I could really.
"It wasn't much fun and then one day they told me they didn't want me there any more.
"I started just walking around the streets all night on my own.
"It was really cold and dead lonely, sometimes scary.
"I fell in with a group of people and started trying drugs, smoking weed, stuff like that - stuff that put me on a high so I could forget about what state I was in.
"I'd been going missing for months now. The police kept tracking me down though. They'd take me home then I'd just go again. I was really angry about it all and cried a lot.
"Because of what had been happening at home and because of the way I was feeling, everything had started to get bad at school as well. I'd stopped going really. Then Barnardo's came on the scene.
"I started getting some support and started talking to one of the workers at Missing.
"And then things started slowly getting better. They listened and didn't tell me what to do or try to make out they knew what I was feeling.
"Things are a lot better now. Before I felt so angry and alone and like I wasn't getting anywhere at all. Now I've got my own place, I'm at college and I've got a new group of friends."
