Dear Sir,

For what it’s worth, please note the following response to the Speech from the Throne. Some content needs to be elaborated on separately, but this is what I have thoughts on.

Primarily, it is encouraging that a few social issues have been highlighted and deemed priorities in this year’s Speech from the Throne. At this point, no one can ignore the economic pressures and social fallout that have surfaced on our island home. It will be future generations that suffer if we do not identify and implement key solutions now.

People are leaving the country in search of a better quality of life overseas, and we can no longer deny this unfortunate, yet stark reality of the present economic climate. Adequate housing is increasingly sparse in Bermuda for families earning a basic wage, so people are forced to look elsewhere. One hundred and eighteen more affordable homes will be necessary to curb the exodus that we are seeing.

While surging fuel costs have been “staved off” by the Government, utility bills remain at the top of the list when it comes to hardship-support requests. In short order, we hope that the heavy weight of this particular, monthly burden can be further alleviated for struggling families.

Increasing childcare assistance will be a welcomed relief for parents who are living hand-to-mouth, so we are pleased to see that as a priority.

A focus on mental health should be always prioritised. What we know from the youth mental health study is that, among other concerns, almost one third of our students are reporting symptoms of depression. Mandating evidence-based, mental health first-aid training for adults working with adolescents is an important recommendation coming out of this report. We hope to see this training implemented throughout the island soon.

One of our biggest gaps for Bermuda’s youth is a support system in the form of a digitalised helping space, specifically targeting and co-designed by young people. Traditional crisis lines are not used by this generation, so we must improve the safety net for our youth in a familiar platform that offers real-time support for young people who are struggling with prevalent issues.

Multi-service agencies are beneficial, as we know that collective impact is synonymous with improved outcomes. We would like to see more collaboration across the board of helping services so that we can effectively address social issues in a timely manner. Any improvement made in the safety net of Bermuda is a step in the right direction, so we look forward to working together to materialise a stronger continuum of care for our community.

The right to a fair trial should be certainly a bedrock of society, and goes without saying. In the same vein, we would like to see the full integration of Victim Rights and the Conventional Rights of the Child realised here in Bermuda.

Recognising that our social fabric is frayed is the first step towards improvement. The struggle and social unrest that have become pervasive in our headlines is impossible to ignore. We look forward to seeing the fruition of these latest commitments as well as other improvements that are recommended to benefit Bermuda for generations to come.

KELLY HUNT

Executive director

Coalition for the Protection of Children