Theresa Bates and Lizelle Hartley.
Camera IconTheresa Bates and Lizelle Hartley. Credit: Supplied/Martin Kennealey

Helping teens be fab

Staff ReporterSouthern Gazette

The pair have launched Fashionable Amazing Beautiful (FAB) Teens, a health advocate group set up to tackle the myriad issues faced daily by WA teenagers.

As a health coach and mother of two, Ms Bates said teenagers were struggling with the expectations put on them by their peers and wider society.

‘We saw an issue with teenagers self-harming, lacking confidence and even con-

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templating suicide, so we wanted to get to it early and get them healthy and confident before it becomes even more serious,’ she said.

‘The aim is to bring up a generation of confident young people.’

FAB Teens have been running holiday workshops for teenagers, with one scheduled for South Perth this week.

Ms Hartley said after each workshop the self-|confidence and knowledge was written all over the participants’ faces.

‘The best part about the program is seeing the difference in the girls at the end,’ she said.

Teenager Courtney Bates said the workshops were important because many girls were not confident with themselves.

‘There are helplines, but I think this is a better way to interact and show them in real life what they can have and that they don’t need to be like everyone else ” that they can be an individual.’