Founded | 1997 |
---|---|
Type | Charitable trust |
Registration no. | 1066751 |
Location |
|
Area served | England & Wales |
Method | “To seek by every available effective means to make the Christian faith a living practical issue to young people having a past or present association with independent schools in England and Wales, this being done in accordance with the basis of faith.” [1] |
Key people | The Revd and Hon David Fletcher; Mr Giles Rawlinson (Chair until 2016) Peter Gaskell |
Subsidiaries | Iwerne Holidays, Christian Activity Holidays Forres, Lymington Rushmore Holidays, Gloddaeth (St David’s College, Llandudno) , LDN Holidays |
Revenue | £2million (2017) [1] |
Employees | 18 [1] |
Volunteers | 939 [1] |
Website | www.titustrust.org |
Formerly called | Iwerne Trust |
The Titus Trust is a registered charity in the UK, and is the successor organisation to the Iwerne Trust.
It runs evangelical Christian holiday camps for children and young people at private schools. The camps provide adventure activities including kayaking, climbing, go-karting, sailing, laser clay-pigeon shooting and other activities, while also providing Bible studies and discussion groups on the Christian faith.
The Iwerne Trust was set up in 1932 by E. J. H. Nash ("Bash"), initially to financially support the Iwerne camps, which were in theory run by Scripture Union (though in practice largely independent). In 1997 it was succeeded by the Titus Trust, which took over running of the holidays directly in 2000.
After the death of barrister and Iwerne Trust chairman John Smyth in 2018, details came to light about abuse of boys at Iwerne Trust camps under Smyth's leadership which eventually resulted in a settlement being reached between the Titus Trust and a group of survivors.
The Iwerne holidays were started in 1932 at Clayesmore School in the village of Iwerne Minster by E. J. H. Nash (popularly known as "Bash"), a member of staff of Scripture Union. [2]
These camps were initially for boys at the top thirty British public schools, and aimed to promote evangelicalism in the Church of England and in senior leadership positions in the British establishment. Many men who became influential church leaders attended the Iwerne camps, including John Stott, David Sheppard, Michael Green, Dick Lucas and Justin Welby.
Randle Manwaring wrote
The keynotes of Iwerne were always very simple bible teaching and pastoral care through strongly developed friendships at all levels. Attendance was by invitation only and limited to boys at major public schools, at least boarding schools. The unofficial, sotto voce, slogan of the ‘Bash Camps’ (Bash being the very affectionate name given to E. J. H. Nash) was ‘key boys from key schools’ and, whilst this strategy of creating a patrician, elitist Christian society was criticised by many, the results were most remarkable. [3]
Manwaring's book was criticised as offering "more partisan pieties than it does historical analysis". [4]
Nash retired from the staff of Scripture Union in 1965, and David Fletcher (son of Labour politician Eric Fletcher) took over responsibility for the camps. [3]
The holidays were, in theory, run under the auspices of Scripture Union, with the Iwerne Trust raising funds to support them. However, by time of David Fletcher's leadership, the holidays were in practice run by the Iwerne Trust, with no meaningful oversight from Scripture Union, although its senior leaders remained legally employed by Scripture Union (but paid with money provided by the Iwerne Trust). [5] [6]
Nicky Gumbel, founder of the Alpha course, was involved in the camps during Fletcher's years, and Fletcher described Alpha as: "basically the Iwerne camp talk scheme with charismatic stuff added on", [7] though Gumbel himself admits only an indirect link. [8]
John Smyth, a barrister who was best known for acting for Mary Whitehouse in her successful private prosecution for blasphemy against the newspaper Gay News, became chair of the Iwerne Trust in 1974 and was involved with the camps until 1981. [5]
The Titus Trust was set up in 1997 to replace the Iwerne Trust, with the aim of clarifying the previously-confused relationship between Scripture Union and the trust. In 2000 it took full control of the running of the holidays, with Scripture Union ceasing to be involved. [6]
In 2020, after the John Smyth abuse case, the trust announced that it would be closing down the Iwerne brand and directing attendees towards its other camps (Lymington Rushmore, Gloddaeth and LDN). [9]
John Smyth QC, a former Chairman of Iwerne Trust, had been wanted for questioning by the police at the time of his death in August 2018. There were multiple claims from former boys at Winchester College during the 1970s and 1980s of savage psycho-sexual beatings. [10] Smyth had previously worked as a barrister representing Mary Whitehouse, [11] who campaigned against cultural liberalism. Reports of his alleged physical abuse of at least 22 boys were revealed in an investigation by Channel 4 News in February 2017. [12] [13]
Iwerne Trust had carried out its own internal report in 1982, compiled by Mark Ruston of the Round Church Cambridge and David Fletcher of the Scripture Union, but it was not made public until 2016. [14] [15] It found Smyth targeted pupils from leading public schools and took them to his home near Winchester in Hampshire, where he carried out lashings with a garden cane in his shed. It said eight of the boys received a total of 14,000 lashes, while two more received 8,000 strokes between them over three years. Iwerne Trust called the practice "horrific" but did not report the claims to police for over 30 years, until 2013. [16]
Smyth fled the United Kingdom in 1984 and moved to Zimbabwe where, in 1986, he set up summer camps for boys from the country's leading schools. He was arrested in 1997 during an investigation into the drowning of Guide Nyachuru, a 16-year-old adolescent, at the Marondera camp. He then moved to Cape Town, South Africa, where he ran the Justice Alliance of South Africa for some years. The Alliance describes itself as "a coalition of corporations‚ individuals and churches committed to upholding and fighting for justice and the highest moral standards in South African society." It transpired that he had practised the same vicious beatings on many more young boys in these countries. [17]
Following his death, the Titus Trust released a statement which said:
It is deeply regrettable that John Smyth's death has robbed his victims of the opportunity to see justice done. Since 2014, when the board of the Titus Trust was informed of the allegations, we have done all we can to ensure the matter is properly investigated by the relevant authorities. We sympathise deeply with Smyth's victims and continue to pray that they find healing and freedom from the harm that was so unjustly inflicted on them. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the news of John Smyth's death. [18]
A group of survivors describing themselves as 'amongst the scores of victims' beaten by Smyth released their own statement which outlined that they were 'appalled' by the response of Titus Trust. They denied the Trust had done all it could to ensure Smyth was properly investigated, and also its claim that the Trust was only notified of the allegations against him in 2014. They stated that one of its trustees, David Fletcher, had commissioned a report into Smyth in 1982 but not passed any information to the police. Fletcher also had a further report of Smyth's abuse in Zimbabwe in 1993. They also said that reports were stored in the loft of the chair of the Trust, Giles Rawlinson, and were not made available to any secular authorities until 2017, when they were requisitioned by Hampshire police under warrant. [19] The survivors went on to say that the Trust had refused to engage with victims, show any concern for their well-being, or offer support. Their statement said:
Their protestation of sympathy is cynical and disingenuous. Had the Titus Trust acted on the information that was available to it since its foundation, Smyth's abuse could have been stopped long ago. Our hearts go out to the 60 or more children of Zimbabwe and South Africa who suffered at the hands of John Smyth as we did, but needlessly. We have no interest in the "thoughts and prayers" of the Titus Trust. We do not believe they are fit to work with children. [20]
In 2018 there were calls for an independent inquiry into both the abuse, and the culture of the Trust that enabled John Smyth to evade justice despite awareness amongst so many trustees, associated clergy and senior figures within the Church of England. [21] In August 2018, it was reported that a group of survivors had launched a legal claim against the Titus Trust, who were running the Iwerne Trust camps. The group of men who launched this action said that the Trust had remained silent since the allegations about Smyth emerged. They engaged Richard Scorer to act for them. [22] Andrew Graystone, acting as their advocate, said
“I have personally written to every individual Titus Trustee more than once, pleading for them to do their duty as trustees and as Christians, and help the victims. Not one has responded. The refusal of the trustees to offer any help to Smyth’s victims has massively compounded their suffering. [23]
In March 2020 the Titus Trust reached a settlement with three men "who have suffered for many years because of the appalling abuse of John Smyth". The Trust expressed “profound regret” for the abuse, and apologised for “additional distress” caused by the way it responded to the allegations. [24] A group of Smyth’s victims called in response for the trust to disband, as it had protected its own interests rather than offering care and support to victims.
Brendan Smyth O.Praem was a Catholic priest and convicted sex offender from Belfast, Northern Ireland, who became notorious as a child molester, using his position in the Catholic Church to obtain access to his victims. During a period of over 40 years, Smyth sexually abused and indecently assaulted at least 143 children in parishes in Belfast, Dublin and the United States. His actions were frequently hidden from police and the public by Roman Catholic officials. Controversy surrounding his case contributed to the downfall of the government of Republic of Ireland in December 1994.
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Edmund Rice.
Scripture Union (SU) is an international, interdenominational, evangelical Christian organization. It was founded in 1867, and works in partnership with individuals and churches across the world. The organization's stated aim is to use the Bible to inspire children, young people and adults to know God.
David Christopher Knight Watson was an English Anglican priest, evangelist and author.
Clayesmore School is an independent school for boys and girls, aged 8 – 18 years, in the village of Iwerne Minster, Dorset, England. It is both a day and boarding school and is a member of The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC).
This page documents Catholic Church sexual abuse cases by country.
Justin Portal Welby is a British Anglican bishop who, since 2013, has served as the 105th archbishop of Canterbury. Welby was previously the vicar of Southam in Warwickshire, and later served as Dean of Liverpool and Bishop of Durham. As Archbishop of Canterbury he is the Primate of All England and the symbolic head primus inter pares of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Eric John Hewitson "Bash" Nash was a conservative evangelical Church of England cleric. His work of Christian evangelism and camp ministry in the top thirty public schools of the United Kingdom from 1932 onwards was highly influential in the post-war British evangelical resurgence. Over 7,000 boys attended camp under his leadership.
Paul Roger Butler is a retired British Anglican bishop and a former Lord Spiritual of the House of Lords. He was installed and enthroned in Durham Cathedral on 22 February 2014 and was the Bishop of Durham, the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Durham, from 20 January 2014 to 29 February 2024. On 12 September 2013 it was announced that he had been appointed as bishop-designate of Durham He was previously bishop of Southwell and Nottingham. He was installed at Southwell Minster on 27 February 2010. He served as the suffragan bishop of Southampton in the Diocese of Winchester from 2004 until 2010.
As distinct from abuse by some parish priests, who are subject to diocesan control, there has also been abuse by members of Roman Catholic orders, which often care for the sick or teach at school. Just as diocesan clergy have arranged parish transfers of abusive priests, abusive brothers in Catholic orders are sometimes transferred.
The sexual abuse cases in Dublin archdiocese are major chapters in the series of Catholic Church sexual abuse cases in Ireland. The Irish government commissioned a statutory enquiry in 2006 that published the Murphy Report in November 2009.
The sexual abuse scandal in the Congregation of Christian Brothers is a major chapter in the series of Catholic sex abuse cases in various Western jurisdictions.
From the late 1980s, allegations of sexual abuse of children associated with Catholic institutions and clerics in several countries started to be the subject of sporadic, isolated reports. In Ireland, beginning in the 1990s, a series of criminal cases and Irish government enquiries established that hundreds of priests had abused thousands of children over decades. Six reports by the former National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church established that six Irish priests had been convicted between 1975 and 2011. This has contributed to the secularisation of Ireland and to the decline in influence of the Catholic Church. Ireland held referendums to legalise same-sex marriage in 2015 and abortion in 2018.
Catholic sexual abuse cases in Australia, like Catholic Church sexual abuse cases elsewhere, have involved convictions, trials and ongoing investigations into allegations of sex crimes committed by Catholic priests, members of religious orders and other personnel which have come to light in recent decades, along with the growing awareness of sexual abuse within other religious and secular institutions.
Catholic Church sexual abuse cases in Canada are well documented dating back to the 1960s. The preponderance of criminal cases with Canadian Catholic dioceses named as defendants that have surfaced since the 1980s strongly indicate that these cases were far more widespread than previously believed. While recent media reports have centred on Newfoundland dioceses, there have been reported cases—tested in court with criminal convictions—in almost all Canadian provinces. Sexual assault is the act of an individual touching another individual sexually and/or committing sexual activities forcefully and/or without the other person's consent. The phrase Catholic sexual abuse cases refers to acts of sexual abuse, typically child sexual abuse, by members of authority in the Catholic church, such as priests. Such cases have been occurring sporadically since the 11th century in Catholic churches around the world. This article summarizes some of the most notable Catholic sexual abuse cases in Canadian provinces.
The Mount Cashel Orphanage, known locally as the Mount Cashel Boys' Home, was a boys' orphanage located in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The orphanage was operated by the Congregation of Christian Brothers, and became infamous for a sexual abuse scandal and cover-up by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and NL justice officials.
The 2014–2016 Northern Ireland Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, often referred to as the HIA Inquiry, is the largest inquiry into historical institutional sexual and physical abuse of children in Northern Ireland legal history. Its remit covers institutions in Northern Ireland that provided residential care for children from 1922 to 1995, but excludes most church-run schools.
John Jackson Smyth, QC was a British barrister and recorder, who was also involved in Christian ministry. In early 2017, reports emerged that he had performed sadistic beatings on schoolboys and young men who regarded him as a spiritual father. Anglican Bishop Andrew Watson disclosed that, as a young man, he was a victim. Smyth died while under investigation, so criminal charges were never brought against him, but an independent review concluded that he abused at least 13 people, and the abuse was also emotional and spiritual, as well as physical.
Richard Scorer is a Principal Lawyer in Slater and Gordon Lawyers in Manchester where he is Head of Abuse Law. He was formerly Head of Serious Injury at Pannone LLP.
The Iwerne camps, officially the Varsity and Public Schools (VPS) camps, and commonly known as Bash camps, were a group of British evangelical Christian holiday camps aimed at children from British public schools.
The contents of the Ruston report were not news to another Titus Trust trustee, the Revd David Fletcher, who, as the Scripture Union employee responsible for running the Iwerne camps, had worked with Mr Ruston to compile the report before confronting Smyth in 1982.