ASCERT offer a therapeutic support service for young people aged 10-18 years living in the Northern Trust area who are struggling with their mental health and are using alcohol and/or drugs.
For further info:
From 1 June 2023, all adults in Northern Ireland will be considered potential organ donors unless they choose to opt out or are in an excluded group.
The Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) legislation, known as ‘Dáithí’s Law’ in honour of six-year-old Dáithí Mac Gabhann, will change the way consent is granted. The 1st of June is exactly 5 years from when Dáithí was added to the transplant waiting list.
We encourage everyone to consider their organ donation decision, record it on the NHS Organ Donor Register, and most importantly #HaveTheChat with loved ones so they are aware of your decision.
Read more about the law change at www.organdonationni.info/changes-to-the-law or stay up to date with @OrganDonationNI on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
“Literally, in seconds, they used my image to blackmail me”
They’re words we hope you’ll never have to say, and we’re asking you, and your friends, to get wise to the ‘amorous’ advances of online fraudsters.
The warning from detectives comes in response to increasing reports of online blackmail of an intimate or sexual nature. This blackmail is commonly known as ‘sextortion’.
Detective Chief Inspector David McBurney said: “Typically, a person uses a false identity to befriend a victim via social media. The exchange may start with flirting or flattery, but ends with the victim coaxed into sending intimate images or performing sexual acts online, unwittingly in front of a camera.
“Behind the fake and attractive guise, there’s a criminal. These people are often part of sophisticated and organised crime groups, mostly based overseas. They extort their victims by threatening to share those images or recordings unless demands for money are met.
“Innocent people are left feeling humiliated and distraught, but the important message is that victims shouldn’t let embarrassment stop them from reporting what’s happened.”
In 2022, the Police Service of Northern Ireland received approximately 40 reports of sextortion a month. This compares to 2020 when between 10 and 20 reports were received per month.
The majority (80 per cent) of victims are males under the age 30; and approximately 15 per cent of these are aged 15 or younger.
Detective Chief Inspector McBurney continued: “My message, in the first instance, is to be on your guard. Please be aware of the risks of sharing intimate images online, and if someone is pushing you to do this, then alarm bells should be ringing.
“But people do make mistakes, no one is infallible, and if you’ve been a victim of sextortion, then you’re certainly not alone.
“Don’t panic; don’t respond to demands; and don’t enter into further communication. If you can, confide in a trusted friend or family member, and please contact officers immediately on 101.”
The Police Service has issued online safety advice, which includes:
For further information and details of organisations who can help, visit www.psni.police.uk/sextortion
Welcome to Issue 98 of our information bulletin, ‘FYI’ (For Your Information).
(Note: Newsletter will download directly to your device. Look out for the pop-up box and click on open file when it appears).
In another bumper edition we have a number of new sources for funding and would encourage any groups to have a look to see if this is relevant to your work. We have also included further funding sources towards the back, for specific areas in the Southern region, so don’t stop reading!
We are fast approaching our 100th edition, in March, so would invite all of you who receive ‘FYI’ to let us know how relevant it is to your work and families. We will be including a selection of success stories in our 100th edition to show how valuable this resource has been to date – See Page 3 for further details.
Keep connected!
Locality Development Team, Southern Area
CYPSP’s Resource Pack for Children & Young People has been refreshed and updated to include more resources and activities on disability, mental health, education plus much more. Also included are some activities to help keep the kids entertained over the half term holidays, including colouring and activity sheets and indoor/outdoor play ideas.
Download copy at: https://cypsp.hscni.net/download/426/cyp-resource-pack/40057/cyp-resource-pack-2023.pdf
(Note: Newsletter will download directly to your device. Look out for the pop-up box and click on open file when it appears).
Resources and activities are free and in the public domain.
We will continue to update the resource periodically, so keep an eye out on our website and social media platforms.
Please feel free to share with your contacts and those who you think would find it useful.
