Our Founder, Professor Andrew Rowland, attended a Reception at Buckingham Palace, hosted by Her Majesty The Queen today.
Andrew was invited to the event, where he met senior members of the Royal family, to discuss his 2014 report ‘Living On A Railway Line’, aimed at turning the tide of child abuse and exploitation in the UK and overseas.
Andrew said:
“Being invited to Buckingham Palace and having the opportunity to discuss my report with Her Majesty the Queen, His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh and His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent was a great honour and a truly wonderful experience that I will never forget.
“My report is aimed at improving the protection of children in the UK and beyond. Today’s reception coincided with National Child Sexual Exploitation Awareness Day and this is a good opportunity for us all to remember that it is communities that are best able to protect children from exploitation and other forms of abuse. We can all do more to protect the most vulnerable members of our society.
“Children are the future of our global society and that society will only prosper in the future if the children of today are better protected. Every child should have every chance of good health, every chance of happiness and every chance of protection from harm.
“As Sir Winston Churchill, himself, said, ‘what is the use of living, if it be not to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a better place for those who will live in it after we are gone?’
That’s the challenge that we at SicKids set to everyone – what is it that you will do to better protect children and young people in the future?