Self-harm teenager starts charity

Emma Sheppard hopes the new charity will help people who self-harm

A teenager who self-harmed for five years has helped set up a charity to help others in a similar position.

Emma Sheppard, 18, from Devon, began cutting her arms and legs after suffering depression and loneliness.

The new charity Siesta (Self-inflicted Emotional Support Through Awareness), hopes to improve understanding of the problem.

The Plymouth-based organisation is making an educational DVD about self-harming and setting up a website.

Emma said she started self-harming after problems at school: "I felt very lonely and didn't feel anything, the only way I could have any feelings was to self-harm."

Eventually Emma found other mechanisms for coping with her feelings, such as keeping a scrapbook.

She set up Siesta with another former self-harmer.

"Siesta is a charity for self-harmers run by self-harmers," she said.