A leading child protection charity said it wanted a bigger say on areas such as litigation guardians for children in court and the treatment of sex offenders.

Jevon Williams, the chairman of the Coalition for the Protection of Children since 2018, said it was “no big secret” that the charity wanted more input into legislation that affected vulnerable families.

Mr Williams, an assistant general counsel with insurance giant AIG, said that working alongside the Government was “a conversation that is being had for 2020” in the coalition.

Mr Williams said: “It’s part of our legislative and policy agenda.”

He added: “We have to have a more consultative approach with legislation, especially with fallout if we get things wrong.”

The 37-year-od father of two, from the Friswells Hill area on the border of Pembroke and Devonshire, said his top wish for the year was for “more people to get involved” with the agencies tackling the island’s social problems.

Mr Williams added: “Being busy can’t be the reason why you don’t.

“The future of our young people depends on it.

“You have to have that transfer of knowledge, skill sets and experience, which is exponentially true in our black community. If you look at our levels of violence, it’s not a coincidence that it disproportionately affects that community.”

Mr Williams took over from Sheelagh Cooper, one of the coalition’s founders, after he was invited to join the board three years ago and May will mark his second anniversary as chairman.

He said Ms Cooper’s 26 years as chairwoman “speaks for itself” and that he was inspired to help after he read about pupils who were sent home from school for not being properly dressed.

Mr Williams added: “I had read in the news where students were being sent home for not having the proper uniform, which drove me crazy.

“I thought it was just asinine, I couldn’t see how that type of thing impacts children’s day-to-day learning, especially understanding the dynamics in their homestead, in areas where people are already dealing with a ton of issues.

“I reached out and asked if there was anything I could do.”

He said his legal background helped with “analysing legislation, not just practically, from a legal standpoint, but making sense for the community at large”.

Mr Williams added the coalition would have liked to have been more involved in the creation of the five-member independent litigation guardian panel, set up by the Ministry of Legal Affairs in December to represent children in court.

He added: “I think we could do better ... that’s not a dig at any person.”

Mr Williams said the coalition also hoped for greater input on the treatment of sex offenders after they were released from jail.

He added: “There is this notion of having preconditions that the offender has to meet before being released.

“We can’t release sex offenders without strong parameters around public safety, and continuous management of them.

“There’s a lot left to be desired in terms of those parameters and post-release management.”

Mr Williams’s background includes volunteering with Barnardo’s, a major British children’s charity, while he studied law in London and work with Big Brothers Big Sisters in Canada and Bermuda, as well as the Coalition.

He said: “We get hardship requests for help with Belco bills, for grocery vouchers — these are basic things people don’t have.

“There are children that don’t eat and they need to be provided for.

“To the extent that you have these extreme deficiencies, and people are not up in arms over it, is sad. I think it reflects a disconnect that is unfortunately pervasive.”

Mr Williams said his home neighbourhood, which includes Victor Scott Primary School, had social problems, but that people in the area looked out for each other.

He said: “My mom, Carol Ann Griffith, still lives there, and she often has family and friends over, getting together on weekends — it reinforces that tight-knit community.

“I love the people there. People will get together with a lot of food, and that could very well end up feeding somebody who needs it.

“My mom’s family always gave and continues to give. If you have ten, you give five. You’re helping to feed each other — that person doesn’t have to ask.”

He added Bermudians should avoid “rushing to judgment” when it came to criminal and antisocial behaviour.

Mr Williams said: “My view is that people have a level of disconnect with these things — which is false, because they affect all of us.

“There may be a child who I overlook in assisting, who comes from a fairly rough part of the island, and who grows up and I am confronted with some act of violence that results from some form of trauma. I could have done something.”

He added: “You wouldn’t know the level of despair out there unless you’re in that space, where you’re providing programmes and services to vulnerable persons.

“Not just to individuals, but families. We have many clients where this is a generational issue.”

Mr Williams said: “We have miles to go in terms of empathy.

“One thing Bermuda used to have, and in many areas still has, is the desire to make sure that your neighbour is OK.”

• To volunteer at the Coalition for the Protection of Children, e-mail info@coalition.bm