GROWING up was hell for Joanne.

Her ginger hair made her a target for playground bullies and she even considered killing herself, just to escape the daily torment.

Now 18-year-old Joanne has decided to speak out for the first time about the verbal and physical abuse she endured.

The Horwich teenager wants to highlight the problem to mark anti-bullying week — and to highlight the support she received which helped her get through the ordeal.

It started when Joanne — not her real name — was at primary school aged six.

Simple name calling had escalated to physical attacks by the time she was at secondary school.

She said: “The worst thing I remember was when I was aged about 13 and one girl tried to set fire to my hair with a lighter in the playground.

“Luckily, a boy who was near us managed to knock it out of her hand so it didn’t catch light and I ran off crying.

“I was also pinned down in the school toilets by a group of girls who spray-painted my hair red. It was awful and at times I had suicidal thoughts because I couldn’t cope with it.”

Then she heard about Bolton-based charity Bully Free Zone, where she received counselling which gave her strength to move forward in life.

She is so grateful to the support she received that she has become a volunteer to help other youngsters suffering a similar plight.

She added: “Bully Free Zone was a lifeline to me, I don’t know what I would have done without it.

“I feel like I owe them so much, which is why I have decided to go back as a volunteer. It is very rewarding to be helping others.

The Bolton News reported last week that Bully Free Zone, which has helped thousands of children in the 14 years it has been running, is struggling financially and may be forced to close.

Joanne said: “This is a vital resource for young people and I wonder where they would go if this wasn’t here. It would be a real shame if it had to close.”

Last month, a bullying incident at Rivington and Blackrod school provoked a national outcry because footage of the attack was filmed by pupils on their mobile phones and posted on the social networking website Facebook.

l If you are being bullied there is plenty of support and advice out there for you. Contact Bully Free Zone on 01204 454958 or visit bullyfreezone.co.uk Other websites to visit include bullying.co.uk, stoptextbully.com, getconnected.org, childline.org and beatbullying.org amanda.smith@ theboltonnews.co.uk