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Charity Chief Exec dismissed

Former chief executive Chris Hedges had been jailed for sex with 14-year-old girl

THE MAN at the helm of a Hampshire charity for four years was a convicted child sex offender, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Trustees of Open Sight were unaware that Chris Hedges had been jailed after admitting five cha-rges of having unlawful sex with a 14-year-old girl.

They didn’t carry out a criminal records check when they recruited him because the job didn’t involve him coming into contact with young people.

However, the Daily Echo has discovered that his role changed over time and he ended up dealing with vulnerable youngsters, even though he had been banned for life from working with children.

Hedges’ sick past only came to light after he was dismissed from his chief executive post for alleged bullying. Trustees told the Daily Echo that he would never have been offered the job if they had known about his convictions.

None of the current board of trustees of Open Sight, which supports thousands of people with sight loss across Hampshire, were in place when Hedges was appointed more than four years ago.

But a spokesman for the charity, which has bases in Eastleigh and Bishopstoke, confirmed Hedges had never made anyone aware of his previous conviction, or the fact that he is on the sex offenders’ register.

http://www.theprojectsco.co.uk/organisational-support-services/pre-employment-screening/

The Chandlers are Freed

What a relief for the Chandlers and all their family and friends after being held captive for 388 days and finally released virtually unharmed.

Theirs was a situtation that no-one could have imagined happening when leaving the Seychelles on their yacht over a year ago. But, marine piracy and the taking of  hostages abroad is becoming more common place. Only last month, a British security consultant was visiting Adado in Somalia to see if the area was safe enough for  Save the Children to set up a base there was kidnapped.

This subject is now something all businesses and charitable organisations should be considering when sending British workers abroad.

The Projects Company is pleased to announce that one of its new organisational support services is to help with kidnap and hostage situations both in preparing for safe travel and speedy response to kidnap incidents and hostage negotiation.

For further information on kidnap and hostage click here