Voices is the Dorset Echo's weekly youth page, written for young people by young people. If you would like to write an article for Voices, please email alex.cutler@dorsetecho.co.uk for more information.

Do you think you are an excellent friend? Do you have an excellent friend? Are you an excellent friend? If you want to be an amazing friend then this is the perfect thing for you to read.

To be a good friend you need to be caring and helpful (which is also known as being kind).

If you are mean to your friends then you will have no friends anymore because of how you acted to your friends and treated them, whereas if you cared for your friend they would not dislike you and would care for you back.

For example if they fell over and cut their knee you could help them up and comfort them until help arrives or you could go and get help.

Sharing is also a key thing to be a good pal. Sharing is a good thing because you make people happy although if you don’t share you could make people upset, miserable or angry. Being a good friend is the best.

If you call people names, push them over or make fun of them and lots of other things then you are an extremely awful buddy.

Nobody should ever do this because it is upsetting and empty hearted. Horribly, some people do this and if you do this stop.

Some parents say if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything and this is definitely true.

Please treat your pals correctly and be good buddies to each other and both of you will be joyful. Being a bad friend is the worst.

By Lexi-Rae Key and Lola Carney