A MOTHER whose little boy was bullied at school said she is finally starting to get her son back thanks to the help and support of Carlisle Youth Zone.

Cory Thomlison was a happy, bubbly child who was looking forward to starting school. But all that changed half way through his first year in reception.

“Name-calling had started and there was one boy in particular who used to push him about a bit and then he would start getting his friends involved” recalled his mum Sarah Thomlinson, 28, of Bowman Street, Carlisle.

“There was one occasion when they circled him and they all pushed him round the circle he just stood there and took it.

“When he came home and told me I tried not to show my emotions,.

“The last five years have been awful; just seeing him so withdrawn and upset. He was scared to go to school but then it did get to a point where Cory started fighting back.

“He wasn’t taking it anymore and then that was it, the school just completely washed their hands of him.

“It was Youth Zone who were here, not just for Cory but for me as well.

“I didn’t really know what to say to him and make him feel better.

“They have not just help my kids, they have helped me massively. They have literally bent over backwards for all of us.

“I don’t think I will ever be able to tell them how grateful I am for what they have done for Cory.”

Sarah continued: “He’s definitely happy now. He wasn’t for a long time, but I can honestly say now, I’m getting my son back.

“It’s amazing.”

Cory, now nine, his sister Daisy, 10, and their eight-year-old brother Shay started attending Carlisle Youth Zone 18 months ago and now go three or four times a week.

It was a turning point for Cory who developed relationships with staff he felt he could open up to, who were there to listen and who haven’t given up on him.

He left his former school and his mum pulled him out of his football team where the bulling continued.

But he had developed anger issues and was struggling, often finding himself in trouble.

At one stage, every argument ended in him hitting someone, but now he is beginning to learn how to control his anger.

Cory was paired up with youth worker Nathan Bagnall on the centre’s mentoring programme in September, and they have had an hour-long session every week.

The programme gives additional support to young people experiencing difficulties. It is goal-orientated builds confidence and self esteem, while addressing the issues a young person might face.

Nathan helped Cory identify a goal he wanted to reach - to get onto a new football team.

He also set Cory a step challenge, to help keep him active and give him a daily goal to see who can be the first to reach 10,000 steps.

Both Sarah and Nathan, as well as other staff and volunteers at the youth zone have already seen a huge change in Cory’s behaviour.

“It’s working wonders. That boy is on a mission everyday,” said Sarah.

“I’ve seen a massive difference. He’s like a different boy.

“He skips out the door to school in the morning - he’s at a different school now - and he’s desperate to get here to speak to Nathan.

“He’s still got problems and I think he will have for a while because it was such a long period of his life that he had to suffer.

“I’m not saying that they clicked their fingers and he is totally healed but he is getting close and that’s because of the people that work here.

“I can’t even put into words how amazing they are there.

“I look forward to coming to youth zone.

“I’m only to here to drop them off but I look forward to having a catch up and filling them in on what’s happened, the achievements Cory has made since the last time we saw them,” she continued.

“I would sing their praises all day long if I could, they’re amazing.

“They are the nicest bunch of people you will ever meet.”

Cory knows he won’t get onto a football team until he has addressed his anger issues and Nathan says that is half the battle.

He’s learning how to walk away from things more.

“He is always saying he’s looking forward to it and he doesn’t want to miss that session each week,” said Nathan.

“Even though we can have up and down days still, if he is having a down day he will respond a bit better when asked to by me or some of the other staff, who in the past he might not have listened to before, which is a good sign.

“He has got the right mindset. He doesn’t want to be where he is.

“You can see when there’s been times when he’s been asked to leave he doesn’t want that.

“Afterwards you can tell that he didn’t want it to go that way, but he’s just struggling to know how to stop it.

“The fact that he doesn’t want it to go like that is half the battle.”

Nathan added: “There are some young people who will be adamant that they haven’t done anything wrong.

“Cory wants to get on to a football team but knows until he’s resolved this he can’t, the fact that he’s acknowledged that is massive."

Read Alexandra's story. She was groomed and turned to drink and drugs aged 13, but has since turned her life around.