NYT Statement re Chris Bryant

We are grateful to Chris Bryant for disclosing to our team the historical abuse he suffered in the company in the 1970s. We are very sorry that this happened to him and to others who have previously shared with us their accounts of historic abuse by the same perpetrator.

As we set out in a public statement on the case in 2017 available here, we stand in solidarity with all victims of abuse and encourage anyone who has experienced abuse no matter how long ago to speak to someone and access support.

In this case the perpetrator has been deceased since 1986, but all reports made to us will be dealt with in accordance with our robust and formalised safeguarding policy and practice. Our safeguarding practice has now been in place for three decades and is continually reviewed and updated annually in accordance with evolving best practice, legal requirements and advice from leading external experts including the NSPCC.

While Chris writes he doesn’t feel damaged by what happened, we recognise that being subjected to an abuse of power can have lasting consequences for many, in different ways. Anyone getting in touch will be listened to and treated with care and respect by trained professionals, in line with our certified trauma-informed practice. We are grateful to Chris for his support of our organisation today, and acknowledgement of how different a charity we are in 2025 to the one he encountered in the 1970s, with thorough safeguarding practices and policies in place.

Read more about our safeguarding practice and policies

If you’d like to speak to a trained professional about historical abuse contact us on safeguarding@nyt.org.uk

If you are a young person or you would like to speak to a NYT staff member about safeguarding in relation to a young person currently in our care, email safeguarding@nyt.org.uk

For people who, for whatever reason, feel they cannot contact the NYT safeguarding team on these emails or have a wider concern about safeguarding policy they wish to share with the board, you can contact our safeguarding trustee directly on safeguardingtrustee@nyt.org.uk