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In 2006, Jim ran a marathon to raise money for the Care Leavers' Association. This year, he is running another marathon, this time to raise funds for our sister organisation, The Jersey Care Leavers' Association (JCLA).
Many people will be well aware of the child abuse scandal that erupted on Jersey early in 2008. The issue has since dropped from the media. However, everyone with knowledge of the issues agrees that there was widespread abuse of children in care on Jersey in past decades. The JCLA was set up to represent the victims of past abuse on the island, along with others who grew up in care there, and to offer support.
The Association now have their own offices and two part-time paid workers. Along with the Chair of the CLA, Will McMahon, and other members of our association, Jim has been over to Jersey several times in the past year and has seen what great work they do. As well as the continuing criminal investigations, remaining issues for 2009/10 are the promised official inquiry (and report), redress for the victims and proper support as they seek to rebuild their lives. Alongside this is the need to ensure the safety of the present and future Jersey child care system. In all of this work, the JCLA will help to make sure that those who grew up in care on Jersey have a voice in what happens.
Jim is running in the Jersey marathon on Sunday 27th September along with the two sons of one of the victims of abuse in the Jersey children's home at the centre of the investigation (Haut de la Garenne). If you want to support them, you can do so through the relevant Justgiving website, which is very secure and easy to use: www.justgiving.com/JCLAmarathon/
If you don't like donating online, then you can contact the CLA office and sponsor them in the more usual way. |
