2016 Queen’s New Year’s Honours List Revealed
News | December 30, 2016
Her Majesty the Queen has recognized a number of Bermudians in her annual New Year’s Honours List, with Norma Wade-Miller, Bishop Ewen Ratteray, Debbie Ray-Rivers, Jon Brunson, Sandra Butterfield, Patrina O’Connor , Larry Ebbin, Judie Clee, Roger Sherratt, Randolph Mordecai Ratteray, and Rodney Smith Jr. all being honoured for their contributions. “Order of the British Empir... Read more
Charity Tells Bascomes: The Shame is Not Yours
News | December 13, 2016
Brothers Andrew and David Bascome have been applauded for their bravery by the sexual abuse charity Scars. “I want to praise them for having the courage to reveal this secret that’s probably haunted them for life,” Scars chairman Jon Brunson said after the brothers told a press conference they had been molested in their early football careers. “If I could give one message to Andrew and D... Read more
SCARS: “An Overall Deficit In The System”
News | December 12, 2016
SCARS Bermuda said that despite advocating to local legislators for five years, they are “disappointed and concerned” that “nothing has been done to protect the island’s children from sex abuse predators.” SCARS said that while the community has recently been up in arms about the early release of former policeman and convicted paedophile John Malcolm ‘Chalkie’ White, Jon Brunson, Ch... Read more
Kayaking Fundraisers Brave Waves
News | September 26, 2016
Stormy seas delayed their Saturday start, but a kayak team on a mission for charity yesterday took to the waves — and should be still out there, circling the island. The group, Kayak for Kids, had raised $22,000 even before they got their feet wet. Their cause is the group Saving Children and Revealing Secrets, the children’s sexual abuse charity that has so far trained nearly 5,000 adults i... Read more
‘Huge’ Step in Child Sexual Abuse Fight
News | June 3, 2016
An initiative to tackle online child sexual abuse imagery has been welcomed by charity Saving Children and Revealing Secrets. Bermuda teaming up with the International Watch Foundation is a “huge” step in the fight against child sexual abuse, chairman Jon Brunson told The Royal Gazette. But Mr Brunson stressed that there is still more work to be done, adding that the “right people” will ... Read more
Children’s summer camps announced
News | April 30, 2016
Roughly 160 people have been taken on for summer employment through this year’s day camp programme offered by the Bermuda Government. Most will be college and university students whose primary field of study is child care, said Patricia Gordon-Pamplin, the Minister of Community, Culture and Sports. All staff have been vetted, and will receive Scars training, as well as “hands-on experience f... Read more
Up With People Crew Assist Children’s Group
News | April 25, 2016
More than 20 participants of the Up With People programme have learnt how to prevent, recognise and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. The cast members of the international goodwill group also assembled 350 training kits for charity Saving Children and Revealing Secrets before taking part in the Darkness to Light Stewards of Children training on Thursday. Miguel Samaniego, from the United ... Read more
Career Helping Children
News | April 20, 2016
Glenda Edwards has always been passionate about working with children. After a career in child protection spanning more than three decades, the mother of three now facilitates training sessions with charity Saving Children and Revealing Secrets. Mrs Edwards, who is also one of the organisation’s directors, said: “I worked in the Department of Family Services for over 30 years and we saw the ... Read more
Baroness Praises SCARS In UK Parliament
News | April 18, 2016
During a debate in the UK Parliament last week, Baroness Anelay praised the work of local charity Saving Children and Revealing Secrets [SCARS], whose mission is to “reduce the risk of child sexual abuse and to be an advocate and voice for children who have been sexually molested as well as their affected family.” Baroness Massey of Darwen asked, “In this country we are fortunate in having ... Read more
Scars to Hold Tag Day on April 27
News | April 12, 2016
Charity Saving Children and Revealing Secrets will be hosting its second tag day this month as it marks child abuse prevention month. The funds raised will go to providing the knowledge, skills and resources needed to protect and prevent children from sexual abuse. “April is national child abuse prevention month,” Debi Ray-Rivers, the charity’s founder and executive director, told The Roya... Read more
Video: ’10 Most’ Spotlights Brunson & Ray-Rivers
News | January 26, 2016
The “10 Most Fascinating People of Bermuda 2015″ series continues today with the sixth video release featuring Jon Brunson and Debi Ray-Rivers of SCARS. Host Lisa Pickering introduces the pair by saying, “Like many survivors of child sexual abuse, Debi Ray-Rivers would see her perpetrator freely walking the streets, serving as a constant reminder of the abuse which a staggering estimated on... Read more