a Schools Mailserver communication

12 July 2010

Dear Head of Year 10,

I am producing on a ground breaking new television project for Channel 4 and I am very keen to involve young people and their parents from your school.

Studio Lambert is an independent TV production company based in London and Los Angeles. It was set up two years ago by Stephen Lambert, who is responsible for ground-breaking programmes such as Faking It and The Secret Millionaire. Our creative director is Jamie Isaacs, who has created several successful documentaries which have helped families with problem teenagers, such as Channel 4’s Brat Camp and BBC3’s hit World’s Strictest Parents. He was also the man behind the award-winning series The Choir, which brought a community together through singing.

At the moment, a parent’s struggle with their troublesome son or daughter is considered a private issue, but the truth is that a problematic teenager’s behaviour affects everyone around them. So, in this new programme for the award winning Documentaries department at Channel 4, we are undertaking an exciting new social experiment.

Inspired by successful programmes in America, and the growth of grass roots schemes for supporting young people in the UK, we aim to take one family struggling with their teenager’s behaviour, and devise a new mentoring programme. Research and experts in the field suggest that such projects can make a real difference to a family in need.

We believe local mentors who are keen to help and can offer time and energy to the teenager, perhaps engaging them in an attractive activity, or offering them a relationship that they do not have at home, will be able to affect real change for the family. Equally, when a member of the community knows the challenges that the parent faces, hands on knowledge and expertise will make all the difference.

By finding people in the wider community who can offer constructive help to the teenager and their parents, we believe this experiment could lead to significant, meaningful change for families, as well as brokering new relationships within the community which can prosper long into the future.

It is a project that appeals to both parents and young people. I would be really grateful if you could circulate my letter to see if any of the young people that attend the school would be interested in taking part. Please see below for a very brief surmise of the project, I would be most grateful if you could ensure the text below goes out to as many parents as possible.

Please do not hesitate to give me a call at any time and do please let me know if you need any more additional information.

Best wishes,

Rachel Harvie
Associate Producer

Producers are on the hunt for parents who are despairing of their teenage children and in need of some practical support.

This new show for Channel 4 aims to assist a family in crisis – not by heading to the authorities – but by seeing if help can be found in their own community. This is an opportunity for young people to really be inspired by the people they pass in the street every day. They will be matched with someone locally that has something to offer them - skills, advice, and practical training in something that excites them, all for free.

Perhaps your son or daughter has been a source of anxiety for you for some time, hanging out with the wrong crowd and bunking off school? If you would like to find out more about how Channel 4 can help you and your teenager, please contact Rachel.Harvie@studiolambert.com or call 0207 534 2023