Four experiences, in particular, transformed Sarah's thinking and inspired a life-long
commitment to reduce the emotional and physical neglect and violence affecting many
children's lives, their development and their behaviour. This is what she says about
those four experiences:
1. As a result of Amnesty's International Conference for the Abolition of Torture
in London in 1973, I came to recognise the close connections between cruel, inhuman
behaviour and the viewing of violent and pornographic material.
2. In 1988 I read the recently published Schools Council Report on the mental and
emotional health of children in inner city and council estate primary schools in
England and Wales. Based on a 3-year research programme, this Report found that
over 70% of 5-year-olds coming into school showed "some
signs of disturbed or violent behaviour".
3. I worked for the NSPCC as they were setting up experimental Therapeutic Playgroups
in some Midland cities. I sat one day on the floor with an abused and unloved three-year-old,
he drew a life-size portrait of himself very quickly in black - without eyes. He
then spent almost an hour silently and desperately trying to rub the drawing out
again until the paper was in shreds.
4. One-to-one, I was a home tutor to secondary school pupils in the Rugby Borough
who had been excluded from school for severely disturbed or violent behaviour. The
one common factor was that they had each been severely traumatised, in one way or
another, before they were three.
These powerful experiences were the triggers that led to the
launch of Right from the Start.
If you feel you know enough about us to want to support our work, we welcome funding
simply click here to make
a donation
If you want to learn more about our aims, values, achievements and goals ... and
then feel able to help us in one way or another,
simply click here to register your interest. We will then contact you by
e-mail regarding your enquiry.