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Good Afternoon
I'm sure many of you will have seen the news this week of the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury following the publication of the Makin report on the Church of England's handling of the allegations of serious abuse by John Smyth. Many people will comment on this given its very public nature and we as the church need to be open and honest and to acknowledge that there have been serious and significant failings.
My prayers and I'm sure the same for all of us is for the victims of abuse and all they have had to go through and endure, not only in the abuse itself but then in the handling of their disclosures when they have been brave enough to come forward.
The church needs to do better, to be proactive in its safeguarding and to try and ensure that there are no more victims, and that any abuse that does come to light is handled well and people are supported.
At a local level, in our four parishes, I hope that we are doing everything we can to ensure safeguarding is handled well and is part of our thought in all we do. My thanks goes to Julie Mousley for stepping up as our safeguarding officer this year and all of the hard work she has put in to make sure that our safeguarding responsibilities are being dealt with. Safeguarding responsibility is of course not hers alone, it is mine, it is the ministry teams, it is the church wardens, it is all in leadership and it is is ours, all of us, everyone. It is an ongoing work, we never want to stand still on this and certainly not go backwards. We are always looking to and wanting to do better, to be better.
Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, both in church and indeed in life, God calls us to look after the vulnerable, to protect them and we should not and cannot fail in this responsibility.
I have included links to our parish and diocesan safeguarding below, every email you receive from us should have the safeguarding link at the bottom of it. I have also included a link to SafeSpaces a wholly independent service providing support to people who need it.
We cannot fix the sins of the past, but we can learn from them and support those affected by them, do reach out if you need that support.
Lastly, if you are ever in the situation that you believe there is an immediate risk of harm or abuse to either yourself or someone else do not wait - please call the Police immediately.
Let's be safe, let's stay safe and let's keep safe those who are in our care.
Every blessing
Rev Kevin Montgomery
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” - Proverbs 31:8-9
Safeguarding
Up to date safeguarding contact information can always be found on our website.
Benefice Safeguarding Officer
Julie Mousley
Email: safeguarding@onechurch4parishes.co.uk
Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser
Victoria Kellet
Email: safeguarding@peterborough-diocese.org.uk
Tel: 01733 887040
More contact details are available in our safeguarding policy.
SafeSpaces
Safe Spaces is a free and independent support service, providing a confidential, personal, and safe space for anyone who has been abused by someone in the Church or as a result of their relationship with the Church of England, the Catholic Church in England and Wales or the Church in Wales.
Their phone number is 0300 303 1056 and they are available Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat 9am-1pm and Sun 1pm-5pm.
Their website is here.