Dedicated voluntary workers who give unstintingly of their time to raise funds for the NSPCC were addressed by the charity's director and chief executive when they met for their annual general meeting at the Wolfscastle Hotel last week.
Mrs. Mary Marsh, formerly head of Holland Park School, Kensington, was appointed to the post with the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children a year ago and was welcomed to her first meeting of the Pembrokeshire branch by president Mrs. Penny Drew.
Referring to the importance of every event, large or small, in raising awareness of the work of the society, she said they were now going through a period of change with a new sense of momentum.
Their objective, she said, was to raise the awareness of cruelty and abuse, to demonstrate action to end cruelty and abuse, to challenge others to end cruelty and abuse and to gain the support of others to end cruelty and abuse.
"Every child matters and cruelty to children can not be tolerated," she concluded.
In her report, the community appeals manager, Mrs. Julie Richards, congratulated the branch on a very successful year, during which the many groups had worked hard on a variety of events.
Stressing the importance of fund-raising so that the work could continue, she said: "Around 36,000 children are on child protection registers because they are at risk of significant harm. There are at least 110,000 convicted child sex offenders in this country. Twenty-six per cent of recorded rape victims are children. About one third of girls and one fifth of boys aged between 12 and 15 said that they were afraid - at least sometimes - to go to school because of bullying. Children in the UK are more likely to be killed in their own home by members of their family than anywhere else in society, and, according to an NSPCC survey, 81 per cent of children's play areas in open spaces are unsupervised."
The treasurer, Mr. Arthur Chapman, congratulated the branch on raising £21,298 during the year, an increase of £3,467 on the previous year. In addition, the NSPCC Schools Department in the Pembrokeshire Education Authority had raised £1,646.
At the close of the meeting, Mrs. Marsh presented a number of awards to members in recognition of their work for the society: Mrs. M. Bradley-Kidd (chairman, Manorbier) and Mrs. Penny Drew (president), Certificates of Merit for valued service over a considerable period of time; while Certificates of Excellence were awarded to non-committee members Mrs. Janet Barrett-Evans, Mrs. Jane Davies, Mrs. Margaret Noakes, Mrs. Sadie Smith, Mr. Roger Barrett-Evans, Dr. Bryn Barton and Mr. Anthony Bowen.