A charity has paid tribute to broadcaster and journalist Dame Esther Rantzen who publicly campaigned for children’s rights, assisted dying and support for the elderly in Jersey.
Dame Esther died on Wednesday at the age of 86.
She had been terminally ill with lung cancer and in 2023 revealed she had joined Swiss assisted dying clinic Dignitas.
A regular visitor to the Island, Dame Esther spoke passionately about the need for the Island’s government to fulfil the recommendations of the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry, which laid bare decades of child abuse in local children’s homes.
Most notably, Dame Esther presented the BBC TV show ‘That’s Life!’ and started Childline, a 24/7 call operated counselling service for children.
She later founded the Silver Line Helpline, a free telephone service for older people, in 2012. One of the places the Silver Line was piloted was Jersey.
Dame Esther last visited the Island in 2018 when she met staff, volunteers and people who had used the services at the NSPCC’s Gower Centre on Stopford Road.
Her visit came shortly after the NSPCC launched the PANTS campaign in partnership with the Jersey Safeguarding Board and States of Jersey, which aimed to teach Jersey children how to stay safe from sexual abuse.
The NSPCC also launched a Jersey-specific helpline number around this time, providing advice about children’s safety and wellbeing
In a statement, Chris Sherwood, chief executive of the NSPCC, described Dame Esther as a “unique” and “truly remarkable” woman, who went to “exceptional lengths” to ensure children across the UK and Channel Islands had somewhere to turn to if they needed help.
“In 1986 she founded Childline, and in the 40 years since the service has helped millions of children, providing round the clock support over the phone and, in recent years, increasingly online.
“Esther’s hands-on approach defined her leadership. She loved nothing more than spending time in our bases and connecting with our volunteer counsellors. Her unwavering determination and tenacity in ensuring children were safe and heard never diminished”, he said.
