A very worthy cause
Posted on | January 12, 2010 | No Comments
VCF
Final memorial event to mark Victoria Climbié’s 10 year anniversary
VCF, the Victoria Climbié Foundation, is to hold a final memorial event to mark the 10 year anniversary of the death of Victoria Adjo Climbié.
February 2010 marks the 10th anniversary of the death of Victoria Climbié in 2000. Had she lived, Victoria would now be 18.
VCF is planning a rolling programme of activities and events throughout the year under the theme ‘The Way Forward’, to highlight the achievements of the organisation and challenges 10 years on.
A memorial event is to take place at Parliament on 25 February.
Since the public inquiry and report by Lord Laming in 2003, the Foundation has continued to campaign for improvements in child protection policies and practices, and to ensure effective links and coordination between statutory agencies and the community.
VCF has been at the forefront of child safeguarding, leading calls since May 2008 for a review of the child protection system and its implementation of the reforms at operational level. The need for this review was tragically highlighted following the death of Peter Connelly, known as Baby P.
The legacy of Victoria Climbié was the promise of a school in her memory in the Climbié family’s home town of Abobo, a suburb of the Ivory Coast capital Abidjan. The Victoria Climbié School opened its doors to the first pupils on 6 October 2009 and will ultimately be attended by up to 360 children.
In delivering ‘The Way Forward’? a series of events aimed at bridging the gap between health and children’s social care? VCF hopes to move towards a safer future for all children with a child protection framework that fully supports professionals to carry out the work that they have been entrusted to do;
to truly lean the lessons of the past; and to work together for a better future where everyone really can help to safeguard and protect the rights of our children.
Mor Dioum, Director of the Victoria Climbié Foundation UK said:
“Victoria’s death demanded root and branch changes to the child protection system. 10 years on, we’ve seen significant changes in policies and practice which have radically re?shaped child protection in this country.
On this landmark anniversary, we continue to remember Victoria. However, the time has come to move beyond a memorial and truly put her legacy into practice. VCF is determined to take its work forward as there remains a lot to be done around implementation.
We intend to continue to be a campaigning voice to make the safeguarding of children a priority.”
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