Munch, Poke, Ping

The first conference, “Munch Poke Ping”, was hosted by Stephen Carrick-Davies and was something i had been looking forward to for a long time given that the subject matter was so intertwined with my own experiences and work. Originally i had asked Stephen, who i met through Katie Bacon of Online Youth Outreach, if i could attend. This led to me not only attending but also presenting at the conference about my own experiences of using the internet as a therapeutic tool, the positive power of peer support and the work i am doing currently with YoungMinds and MyHealthLondon.

The conference was attended by professionals working with children and young people from a variety of perspectives including teachers, support workers, youth workers, psychologists and others and the line up on the stage was just as varied as the audience itself.

Among the line up were speakers from PRUs including pupils, staff and a headteacher as well as Online Youth Outreach, Blackberry and Dr.Richard Graham who works with young people with technology addictions.

Although i am well versed in public speaking this event, for me, was a little daunting as it was my first foray into speaking as a professional and not just a “young person” or “service user” (the labels normally attributed to me). However as soon as i had a microphone in front of me i was fine! (Something that i imagine would shock those who went to school with me where i was known for being quiet and anything but happy about standing up in front of large groups of people).

After a somewhat dark session in the morning looking at grooming i spoke about the positive effect of the internet and how i believe it has helped me and helped me help others over the years. I did this through talking about my own experiences of mental illness and using and running support groups and forums online. I wanted to stress that not everything that happens on the internet is bad or untoward and that actually thousands of young people are helped every day by the peer support they receive online.

I have noticed that professionals, when considering young people and their internet use (especially “vulnerable” young people), find it very hard to see beyond one thing. Risk.

This means that projects are often slowed down or more likely not even considered, I hear a lot of fear and dismissal of service user involvement and participation let alone the concept of peer support within this.

My answer? Yes there are risks involved in going online, and yes some people are more “vulnerable” than others, however there is risk inherent in all areas of life. Risk is a fact of life and people will do “risky” things regardless, you may not be able to stop it but imagine the effect it would have if you could at least help manage and minimise it.

The ban and block  culture and our fear of the worst case scenario paralyses us and certainly does not move us forward.

And while bigger organisations are pondering all the worst case scenarios of having even, say, a pre-moderated, closed forum for service users, service users like me have been doing this for a decade now.

And i understand the fear that exists, believe me. I understand the fear of lawsuits and Daily Mail fodder but please bear in mind it can be done, and done well.

It’s not about trying to making risk obsolete, it’s about building resilience, educating young people and providing support; just check out what the Cybermentors do.

There are safeguarding measures that you can put in place, so many i wouldn’t know where to start..and do you know what? A lot of them are common sense! Like not giving out personal details online, just like you shouldn’t give them to a stranger in the street.

I’m sure most young people would tell you too that we don’t want to be wrapped in cotton wool and actually we need to learn by experience.

Personally i doubt exactly where i would be today without the peer support i have and currently still get online, i don’t imagine it would be a good place.

It has been a part of my life for around ten years now including before, during and after more conventional psychological help. Yes the help that i was receiving wasn’t from someone qualified in any paper-based way but i was fully aware of that going in. Not only that but the support was free and, unlike most mental health services, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. A stark contrast to most service provision which operate on a strictly 9-5 basis (with a few exceptions of course). No two year waiting lists in sight either..

I don’t blame the services. I understand the pressure they are under, it was pretty bad ten years ago and with the brutal cuts to the NHS things aren’t looking too good here on the ground right now.

Peer support should be encouraged, as a grass roots movement of sorts it already wields immense power and touches and enhances the lives of thousands. Just look at the hit counts on websites that are already doing it. And look at how successful ChildLine and Beat Bullying for great examples of how to reach out online.

It was amazing to be given a platform to speak about something that is so important to me both personally and professionally. It is the reason that with YoungMinds and MyHealthLondon i am developing an app and website to help young people who need support.

I met some incredibly interesting people throughout the day and the conversation continued both at the conference and on twitter (#mpp #munchpokeping).

The day after was a conference run by YoungMinds and ACAMH titled “Young people in the internet wilderness: a ticking time bomb?”,  my next post will be coming shortly!

Distance covered 1767km (1097.9miles) Distance to go 244.78km (152.1miles)

Money raised £3872.53 (inc. gift aid) Money to go £154.27

December’s Challenge – Advent Calendar Walks 

DAY 3 – Distance walked 2.73miles (4.39km)

Walking a minimum of 2.5 miles for the first 25 days of December (with, hopefully a different route each day).

Another tricky day to find some walking time as we were down in Ipswich doing “The Tinselators”. 11 hours in a car for 3 x 30 minute spots of Tinsel filled mayhem!

We were at Adastral Park for their Christmas market. Fortunately got there a bit early so managed to get a couple of miles in before we started and then got the other half mile done during breaks. It was an “interesting” route which you can see here on my Endomondo page. I’m sure there must have been somebody watching a security camera somewhere wondering what on earth I was doing walking round the perimeter of BT’s development centre taking photos!

No work tomorrow so I can walk when & where I want!

Speak tomorrow.

Rob

X

Rob’s 2012 Gold Challenge

More information at

www.robsfundraisingzone.co.uk

Follow me at

www.facebook.com/robsfundraisingzone

My blog

http://robertsim.wordpress.com/

Sponsor me at

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/RobertSimsGoldChallenge

See my progress at

https://www.goldchallenge.org/gc/user/palaver

Well, a couple of months ago Dan took to the start of the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon, raising money for NSPCC and Childline. We heard from Dan soon after he crossed the finishing line in Hyde Park:

“I finished the Royal Parks half marathon in 2 hours and 43 minutes. The experience was really something I had not experienced before – streets lined with friends and families of the 12,000+ runners, noisy charity workers (in a good way) including my chosen charities, the NSPCC and Childline, whose encouragement pushed me on at mile 12.

“The experience was fantastic, despite the early start and cold, muddy conditions, I got going around 9:45 and the first 9/10 miles went well. I ran my fastest mile to date (10 minutes 40 seconds) in mile 1. I would say all went well until around mile 9 or 10 when my legs really started hurting and my thighs went to sleep. But I pushed myself on.

“Crossing the line as any runner will say, is an incredible experience and this was no different. I cannot fault anything about the organisation of the Royal Parks Foundation, it was fantastic from beginning to end.

“As for my next step? I have some plans for December but nothing into next year. However I hold fast on my ‘not doing a marathon’ promise, maybe that is my aching feet talking!

“Final thing I want to say is the about three groups of people I did this for: the first is obviously me, as I always wanted to do this but never felt capable enough to do it until I actually tried.

Secondly – the charities for whom I raised over £1,500  in sponsorship. A big thanks to everyone who backed me.

Third is you reading this – if you want to do something like this, then I say you can. Hey I’ve  done it!”

Distance covered 1762.05km (1095.17miles) Distance to go 249.5km (154.83miles)

Money raised £3872.53 (inc. gift aid) Money to go £154.27

December’s Challenge – Advent Calendar Walks 

DAY 2 – Distance walked 10.2miles (16.42km)

Walking a minimum of 2.5 miles for the first 25 days of December (with, hopefully a different route each day).

Winter trouser day!

A brisk walk down the towpath to Macclesfield to pick up Sharon’s car. Was fun hearing the ice squeak as if formed on the canal but a route I’ve maybe over walked this year.

If you’re wondering what’s happened to Alfie, he’s broken his toe so is having to have a few days off – bless him.

Speak tomorrow.

Rob

X

Rob’s 2012 Gold Challenge

More information at

www.robsfundraisingzone.co.uk

Follow me at

www.facebook.com/robsfundraisingzone

My blog

http://robertsim.wordpress.com/

Sponsor me at

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/RobertSimsGoldChallenge

See my progress at

https://www.goldchallenge.org/gc/user/palaver

Distance covered 1741.53km (1082.14miles) Distance to go 270.47km (167.86miles)

Money raised £3860.23 (inc. gift aid) Money to go £164.77

December’s Challenge – Advent Calendar Walks

For the first 25 days of December I’m going to walk a minimum of 2.5 miles to celebrate 25 years of Childline.

I will endeavor to make each walk a different route & blog it daily. Anybody who knows what my December schedule tends to be like will know what kind of a challenge this will be.

This will of course include having to go out for a walk on Christmas day.

If everyday of my challenge 25 of you put aside only 25p that would raise £156.25 (£187.50 inc. gift aid) & that would mean I’d pass my £2025 target.

And, let’s be honest, what can you do with 25p?

Rob

X

Rob’s 2012 Gold Challenge

More information at

www.robsfundraisingzone.co.uk

Follow me at

www.facebook.com/robsfundraisingzone

My blog

http://robertsim.wordpress.com/

Sponsor me at

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/RobertSimsGoldChallenge

See my progress at

https://www.goldchallenge.org/gc/user/palaver

Susan with ChildLine mascot Buddy and pupils Abigail, Kirsten & Steven

ChildLine’s ground-breaking new Schools Service uses specially trained volunteers to talk to primary school children about abuse, giving them the skills to protect themselves and showing them where to go to for help. One of the volunteers, Susan Thompson, talks about her recent visit to Davidson’s Mains Primary School to launch the service.

How do we encourage children who are being abused or neglected to speak out? As recent media stories have shown, cases can all too often go unreported for months, years or even decades because a child doesn’t know that what’s happening to them is wrong or how to seek help.

Last week 130 pupils at Davidson’s Mains Primary School were encouraged to do just that when they helped ChildLine launch its new schools service.

Pupils’ hands shot up during assembly when I asked what sort of things might cause a child to feel worried, frightened or unsafe.  Children talked about: parents fighting, falling out with friends, being hit or shouted at, bullying and not having enough to eat.

I gently talked them through these issues and others – if a parent or adult were to hit them, if someone wanted to touch private parts of their body, if a parent excluded them or told them they were stupid or worthless. I explained that these were all forms of abuse and used the ChildLine mascot, Buddy, to help them understand that it’s never ok for a child to experience these sorts of things.

I then did another exercise with the P6 and P7 pupils to encourage them to think about who a child could speak to if they needed support.

It was really heartening to hear the children talk about the adults they would trust and turn to if something was wrong: parents, aunties, granddads, teachers, neighbours. I also let them know that ChildLine is always there for them, especially if they feel no one else can help.

Lots of the children had already heard of the ChildLine service and by the end of the session they were all shouting the number 0800 1111 and the website www.childline.org.uk – loud enough to deafen the receptionists on the floor below the school hall!

I will be back in the school this week to deliver a follow up workshop with the children and, along with my fellow ChildLine schools service volunteers, we aim to visit every primary school in the city over the next two years. If, like me, you think you could help ChildLine deliver the schools service in your community, you can find out more at www.nspcc.org.uk/schoolsservice.

Now in its thirteenth year, the annual APSCo Charity Ball was held on 23rd November 2012 at the InterContinental Hotel, Park Lane. As always, all money donated on the night will go to ChildLine and the huge generosity of our guests was overwhelming.

In September 2011, APSCo was announced as an official partner of the NSPCC. The NSPCC’s ChildLine, APSCo’s chosen charity, was formed in 1985 and since then has lent help, support and practical advice to children under the age of 18 who find themselves in difficult circumstances. In 2007, ChildLine provided counseling to over 600,000 children. Each £5 raised allows the charity to answer a child’s cry for help.

I’m sure you will agree that we all had a fantastic evening in aid of a very worthy cause. We’ll keep you posted on the grand total raised, which I’m sure will be substantial and we’ll be posting videos and photographs from the event throughout the week – so watch this space.

In the meantime, here’s a sneak peak of the highlights:

Makkala Grama Sabha meeting was organised in Srinivasapura, Dalsandha Grama Panchayath

Distance covered 1698.39km (1055.35miles) Distance to go 313.61km (194.66miles)

Money raised £3810.23 (inc. gift aid) Money to go £214.77

October’s Challenge – The Big 10. 10 miles, 10 pubs, 10 hours.

Another slightly overdue challenge having not got round to it till 3^rd Nov!

A slightly disappointing turnout of 8 people and 1 dog but that didn’t stop it being a fabulous day and much fun was had by all. We did it in 10 hours, however we ended up doing 14 ½ miles & 2 of us did 11 pubs having lost the rest of the group at various points along the way (we did 11 so that the 3^rd last walker managed to do 10 pubs). We also changed one pub due to the fact that we walked into it, stood there, didn’t get served so walked out and added The Antelope.

We managed to raise just over £150 so a huge thank you to the walkers Julian, Andy, Rachael, Daniel, Andy, Mark, Emmanuel and the pubs Coach & Horses, The Castle, The Moss, The Railway, Egerton Arms, The Counting House, The Young Pretender, The Antelope, The Beartown Tap, The Throstles Nest, The Church House.

If anybody would like to do this walk – get in touch as I’d happily do it again!

November’s Challenge – The North Cheshire Way

Having done Cheshire’s most well-known paths – The Griststone Trail & The Sandstone Trail it seems fitting to do Cheshire’s longest footpath. The 113km (70 Mile) North Cheshire Way. I’m aiming to do it over 3 days, starting on 26^th Nov.

December’s Challenge – Details to come soon

Speak soon.

Rob

X

Rob’s 2012 Gold Challenge

More information at

www.robsfundraisingzone.co.uk

Follow me at

www.facebook.com/robsfundraisingzone

My blog

http://robertsim.wordpress.com/

Sponsor me at

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/RobertSimsGoldChallenge

See my progress at

https://www.goldchallenge.org/gc/user/palaver

This whole sorry and sordid episode has set me thinking. The BBC has been hammered and apparently we the public has lost faith in the broadcasting monolith. However, there has been little or no mention of the fact that the public may have also have lost faith in the powers of law and order and child protection in terms of Social Services in general. In recent years we have seen people released from prison after serving years for crimes they didn’t commit or even worse the “proof” that they did commit a crime was either manufactured or “confessions” beaten out of suspects. Ok it’s a few years ago, but check the case of the “Bridgewater 4” by reading Paul Foot’s excellent book “Murder At The Farm.” True back in those days the CID could act with impunity using the time honoured methods of “Pick ‘Em Up. Fit ‘Em Up. Lock ‘Em Up.” These days with PACE those sort of things are less likely to happen, but part of me wonders whether the legal protections of PACE prevent the Police, on occasions, from speedily gathering evidence from a suspect. Silence seems to be interpreted an assertion of innocence, it should be viewed as an admission of guilt.

However, in many cases the Police can only act on allegations put to them. Here I am talking of course about the type of allegations awash in the media at present. Sexual abuse doesn’t usually take place in the full view of members of the general public, and the Police for one reason and another are not viewed with trust, certainly as an empathic institution. The abused and molested in our society need to have somewhere where they can speak, and it should not only be a Charities like Childline, Barnados and NSPCC. Social Services and education authorities should have a larger role and more staff so that they can adequately monitor, counsel and mentor the vulnerable members of society.

This point does not just apply to girls and boys at risk or victims of sexual abuse, it also applies to all members of society but especially children. We see in the news stories of violent abuse of tiny babies by degenerate “partners” who kill and maim because the infant’s cries “get on their nerves.” The sentences usually passed on these offenders rarely fits the crime and does not exactly faith in the future of our society. In these type of cases the Social Services are widely pilloried and made scapegoats by the press, in many instances rightly so, but where do we as individuals fit in? Are we allowed to abdicate all responsibility for our inactions? Whilst it is very easy to blame the over extended Social Services, perhaps all of us should alert and act on our knowledge and suspicions by not only alerting “the powers that be” but also by following through to ensure that there are investigations made.

There is obviously the danger of “mob rule” and all that may entail, but it is my belief that sex offenders cannot be rehabilitated so they should be removed from society. The typical Guardian reader will often try to blame the offender’s upbringing etc but should we care? The offences that these offenders commit are ingrained into their psyche and in their own eyes it is as “normal” as the sexuality of the other members of society. I don’t think any amount of counselling and education would stop me being heterosexual and I don’t believe there is any way to stop a sex offender from being a sex offender.

I am aware that a lot of what I have written here makes me sound like some kind of “Paedofinder General,” a right wing bigot, or even that low life, a Daily Mail reader from middle England. I am none of the above, I am merely someone at a loss at society and the way we look after, educate and treat our children.

I don’t have a great job, nor does my wife. We have spent many years of our married life living in borderline poverty, but we bought our children up to listen, care and have empathy with others – not just family either. We tried and succeeded in making them into rounded individuals to love and care for people.

I am very sad to say that people like us, my wife and I, are in a minority.

Ciao For Now

Denbow

South African School of Yoga

The 17 ‘childline’ children who have been initiated into the ‘Yoga Capsules ‘ as teachers will be teaching and demonstrating the art of Satyananda yoga at the Yoga School Hyde Park from  11AM until 2PM. The ‘childline’ children will run a Havan (fire ceremony) followed by yoga demonstration and the children would love to interact with the audience with questions and answers from the floor. A generous Indian lunch has been donated and will be served to the children. Guests are welcome to attend and prasad will be served upon leaving.

As part of their Christmas gifts this year, we would like to present them with  new tracksuits, red for the girls, blue for the boys together with their own Satyananda Yoga personalized T-shirts and takkies. We have all their sizes available. Kindly contact Swami Kamalavidya should you wish to assist in donating!! Please make a difference as this will be their official uniform as Satyananda Yoga Teachers.

As always, thank you for supporting the school through your generous service, love and giving to the ‘childline’ children. A big thank you to the conveners who unconditionally serve lunches every Saturday at ‘childline’ Parktown.  This never goes unnoticed!!!!!

Please visit our ‘Donate here’ page on 0ur website if you would like to contribute. www.yogasa.co.za

                                                                                Swami Kamalavidya Saraswati

Taken from Great Yarmouth Mercury. Written by Joe Wilkes. Thursday, November 1, 2012 3:52 PM

A Gorleston woman is refusing to pay her TV licence fee until all the facts around the Jimmy Savile scandal have come out, and she is urging others to join her.

Jacqueline Stroud, 40, of Pier Road, has begun an online campaign against the BBC as she is “disgusted” with the organisation.

She has donated her £12.87 monthly licence fee to children’s charity Childline, and has posted a video on Youtube where she details her reasons for the protest and urges others to join her.

Single mum of two Jacqueline said: “I am absolutely disgusted the BBC feel they cannot only use the TV licence money to pay extortionate wages to their stars, but when faced with an allegation of child abuse against one of their so-called stars they, in my opinion, cover it up.

“Therefore I feel the public have the right to refuse any more payments until this matter is resolved like it should have been 30 years ago.”

“I really hope the people of this country will make a stand,” she added.

“We all pay their wages, and yet there has been a cover up, I feel.

“I know there is a chance they will come to my door if I don’t pay and I will cross that bridge when I come to it.”

Claims have recently been made that TV presenter Jimmy Savile, who died last year, was a serial child abuser, with evidence mounting that the Top of the Pops presenter was a predatory paedophile.

It was also recently revealed that a Newsnight report on the claims was shelved by BBC bosses.

Jacqueline added: “I probably admired him for all the charity work as did everyone else, now this has come out it is disgusting.

“I have tried not to have too much to do with the BBC in the past few weeks.

“Childline would be the obvious choice for the money considering who the victims were of what went on”.

To watch and listen to her protest viedo search for “Jacqueline Stroud, Don’t pay your TV Licence” into Youtube, where she claims that Childline is “a much worthier cause than the BBC,” and urges people to comment and get involved.

You can also use Youtube to get in contact with Jaqueline and join in her protest.

This is her video on Youtube:

It’s worth noting that if you do not pay your licence, and people come to your door, you do not have to answer the door or let them in. They cannot enter your home unless they have a court order.

No Surrender to Paedo Scum, and all those who facilitate, and aid and abet their activites.
J xx

Taken from Great Yarmouth Mercury. Written by Joe Wilkes. Thursday, November 1, 2012 3:52 PM

A Gorleston woman is refusing to pay her TV licence fee until all the facts around the Jimmy Savile scandal have come out, and she is urging others to join her.

Jacqueline Stroud, 40, of Pier Road, has begun an online campaign against the BBC as she is “disgusted” with the organisation.

She has donated her £12.87 monthly licence fee to children’s charity Childline, and has posted a video on Youtube where she details her reasons for the protest and urges others to join her.

Single mum of two Jacqueline said: “I am absolutely disgusted the BBC feel they cannot only use the TV licence money to pay extortionate wages to their stars, but when faced with an allegation of child abuse against one of their so-called stars they, in my opinion, cover it up.

“Therefore I feel the public have the right to refuse any more payments until this matter is resolved like it should have been 30 years ago.”

“I really hope the people of this country will make a stand,” she added.

“We all pay their wages, and yet there has been a cover up, I feel.

“I know there is a chance they will come to my door if I don’t pay and I will cross that bridge when I come to it.”

Claims have recently been made that TV presenter Jimmy Savile, who died last year, was a serial child abuser, with evidence mounting that the Top of the Pops presenter was a predatory paedophile.

It was also recently revealed that a Newsnight report on the claims was shelved by BBC bosses.

Jacqueline added: “I probably admired him for all the charity work as did everyone else, now this has come out it is disgusting.

“I have tried not to have too much to do with the BBC in the past few weeks.

“Childline would be the obvious choice for the money considering who the victims were of what went on”.

To watch and listen to her protest viedo search for “Jacqueline Stroud, Don’t pay your TV Licence” into Youtube, where she claims that Childline is “a much worthier cause than the BBC,” and urges people to comment and get involved.

You can also use Youtube to get in contact with Jaqueline and join in her protest.

This is her video on Youtube:

It’s worth noting that if you do not pay your licence, and people come to your door, you do not have to answer the door or let them in. They cannot enter your home unless they have a court order.

No Surrender to Paedo Scum, and all those who facilitate, and aid and abet their activites.
J xx

Taken from Great Yarmouth Mercury. Written by Joe Wilkes. Thursday, November 1, 2012 3:52 PM

A Gorleston woman is refusing to pay her TV licence fee until all the facts around the Jimmy Savile scandal have come out, and she is urging others to join her.

Jacqueline Stroud, 40, of Pier Road, has begun an online campaign against the BBC as she is “disgusted” with the organisation.

She has donated her £12.87 monthly licence fee to children’s charity Childline, and has posted a video on Youtube where she details her reasons for the protest and urges others to join her.

Single mum of two Jacqueline said: “I am absolutely disgusted the BBC feel they cannot only use the TV licence money to pay extortionate wages to their stars, but when faced with an allegation of child abuse against one of their so-called stars they, in my opinion, cover it up.

“Therefore I feel the public have the right to refuse any more payments until this matter is resolved like it should have been 30 years ago.”

“I really hope the people of this country will make a stand,” she added.

“We all pay their wages, and yet there has been a cover up, I feel.

“I know there is a chance they will come to my door if I don’t pay and I will cross that bridge when I come to it.”

Claims have recently been made that TV presenter Jimmy Savile, who died last year, was a serial child abuser, with evidence mounting that the Top of the Pops presenter was a predatory paedophile.

It was also recently revealed that a Newsnight report on the claims was shelved by BBC bosses.

Jacqueline added: “I probably admired him for all the charity work as did everyone else, now this has come out it is disgusting.

“I have tried not to have too much to do with the BBC in the past few weeks.

“Childline would be the obvious choice for the money considering who the victims were of what went on”.

To watch and listen to her protest viedo search for “Jacqueline Stroud, Don’t pay your TV Licence” into Youtube, where she claims that Childline is “a much worthier cause than the BBC,” and urges people to comment and get involved.

You can also use Youtube to get in contact with Jaqueline and join in her protest.

This is her video on Youtube:

It’s worth noting that if you do not pay your licence, and people come to your door, you do not have to answer the door or let them in. They cannot enter your home unless they have a court order.

No Surrender to Paedo Scum, and all those who facilitate, and aid and abet their activites.
J xx

Fabulous Ring-a-Royal Art Box will be located outside Windsor Castle until the end of the year. The phone box, designed by Timmy Mallett, is one of a hundred created by artists across the country in aid of Childline to celebrate 2012 and 25 years of the charity.If you get a chance to visit, let us know who you think the Royals are all talking to…

Police say they are interviewing more than 300 victims and expect to charge several top TV personalities within days. Not Savile, of course — the star of Top of the Pops, Jim’ll Fix It and many other popular programs died last year.

Like many pedophiles, the cigar-chomping DJ was plausible, if a bit eccentric, as he carefully groomed managers to allow him to operate under cover of his charitable work.

The Stoke Mandeville Hospital, a hospital in his native Leeds, the troubled Haut de la Garenne children’s home in Jersey, even police, were among those taken in. It now appears almost anywhere he went or worked represented an opportunity.

While the rumours flew, no one was prepared to stand up and confront Savile. Here’s what happened when a child approached Esther Rantzen, who has worked at the BBC and founded the charity ChildLine, a 24-hour confidential helpline that takes more than a million telephone calls a year providing free counselling for children to discuss abuse and neglect: Nothing. In an interview with Sky TV, she justified her inertia.

You see, one child’s word against the word of a television icon, one who was renowned for raising money for charity, who knew everyone from the Prime Minister to Princess Diana, who was knighted by the Queen and the Pope, I think no single complainant dared speak out before.

Rantzen was in a position of responsibility and better placed than most to find out the truth as she was married to a senior BBC producer. How did anyone else have a chance?

In an op-ed piece for the Digital Journal, Steve Hayes notes,

The allegations that Jimmy Savile exploited his fame, wealth and influence to sexually assault children are certainly scandalous enough. But, the real scandal is the emerging evidence of just how many responsible people chose to turn a blind eye …
it is clear that the problem of institutional failure is far wider than merely one corporation. The scandal of the Jimmy Savile allegations goes to the heart of the culture and values of the whole establishment.

It’s a view backed up by Janet Street Porter in her column in the Daily Mail.

As far as telly bosses were concerned, stars must be kept happy at all costs. In the 1990s, a well-known former breakfast TV presenter would greet his female program editor each morning lying stark naked in the bath in his dressing room.
There is no doubt that in the male-dominated world of television and radio entertainment in the Seventies, Eighties and even Nineties, women were all-too-often regarded as something to have smutty fun with. If we complained, we were being silly.
On one entertainment series I worked on in the 1980s, every single week at exactly the same time, a pretty young female secretary would service one of the male presenters in his dressing room.

The Economist looks at Savile’s legacy and how it affects the revered British broadcaster.

It took decades for Jimmy Savile to become a beloved national institution, but only a few weeks for his ghost to trash another one. On Oct. 3 a documentary screened on ITV, a commercial broadcaster, showed interviews with several people who claimed they had been abused as children by Savile, a hugely popular BBC presenter who had died a year earlier. Since then the police have been deluged with further accounts of abuse, not all of it allegedly perpetrated by Savile …
No broadcaster worth its salt escapes scandals: they are the downside of dealing with tricky subjects. But the accretion of layers of management and rival fiefs inside the BBC — described by one news editor as “like the Vatican, just with more cardinals” — has emerged as a big problem.

Nick Cohen, a columnist for The Spectator, believes the BBC has at least something to be proud of in its handling of the scandal.

I hope that the entire editorial staffs of the Times, Sunday Times, Sun, Mail, Mail on Sunday, Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph (oh and the Express newspapers if they are still around) along with Alastair Campbell, the Parliamentary Conservative Party and Rupert Murdoch are going to be gracious enough to praise the BBC …
How many other institutions would allow junior staff to carry out a forensic examination of an internal scandal and broadcast it to the world? How many others would allow employees to expose a manager who made a self-serving decision? If you think you could do what Panorama did … in any other media organization, ask yourself, where were the journalists in the press warning their employers of the dangers of phone hacking? There were no articles in the tabloids and Murdoch papers exposing mass law breaking by their papers. Even after the scandal broke, investigative journalists on the papers that hacked have not attempted to nail their proprietors and managers for the very good reason that their proprietors would fire them if they did.

compiled by Araminta Wordsworth
awordsworth@nationalpost.com