A tag day held by a charity dedicated to improving the lives of families on the island provides a “wonderful opportunity” for residents to unite around a worthy cause, the Premier said.

David Burt’s comments came as he welcomed Sandy De Silva, the executive director of Family Centre, to the Cabinet Office to help launch the organisation’s fundraising drive.

They were joined last Friday by Ian Truran, the chief executive of Clarien Bank, which sponsors the tag day.

Dr De Silva pinned a classic red-and-blue ribbon to the Premier’s lapel in a display of his backing for Somerset.

The Premier highlighted his support for the work of Family Centre and noted that recent challenges on the island meant there was greater reliance on the counselling and therapeutic services it provides.

Mr Burt said: “As I shared in my address to Bermuda last week, our priority is to support those directly impacted by recent tragedies with compassion, empathy and tangible assistance.

“There are people in our community who are hurting, and the recent tragedies further highlighted our community's need for additional resources to tackle antisocial behaviour and confront a mental health crisis.

“This Government has promised to support these vital programmes. So, I was pleased to support the important work of the Family Centre.

“This is also a wonderful opportunity for all in our community to come together and unite around a very purposeful cause.”

A government spokeswoman said that Family Centre’s Cup Match tag day — to take place on Wednesday — was the charity’s most significant fundraiser of the year.

The campaign has once again been dedicated in 2024 to the memory of the organisation’s founder, the late Martha Dismont.

“As an important note, all funds raised through the purchase of the St George’s and Somerset ribbons goes towards providing support for the helping services and community outreach programmes that are spearheaded by the charity,” the spokeswoman added.

• For more information about Family Centre’s Cup Match tag day, visittfc.bm/cupmatch