“Scottish Activist, Matthew McVarish, recently completed his award winning initiative, the ‘Road to Change’ project. A 10,000 mile (16,000km) walk, visiting every EU capital on foot to raise awareness of child sexual abuse and encourage governments and parliaments across Europe to discuss abolishment of the Statute of Limitations on survivors reporting their abuse. Attracting local and national press and media in thirty languages, Matthew reached millions and he became the first male survivor in some nations to speak publically about having been sexually abuse in childhood. His project encourage legislative reforms in various EU nations, and beyond.

Matthew was then commissioned by the Scottish Government to publish a paper on his observations of the varied unique cultural sensitivities that contribute to the silence around sexual abuse in different nations. His discoveries are currently being used by Police Scotland to introduce reforms of how they support survivors.

Now senior adviser to ECPAT International, Matthew chaired the first annual Global Survivor Forum in Strasbourg, were survivors or CSA and CSE came together from across the world to discus solutions and make recommendations to governments.

Awarded an Honorary Doctorate, Charity Champion in the Scottish Charity Awards and the prestigious ‘Glenfiddich Top Scott Award’, voted for by the people of Scotland, (Previous winners include JK Rowling and Andy Murray) Matthew is still better known in the UK as the character he plays in a children’s BBC television program, called ‘Me Too’, repeated every morning on Cbeebies, as well as becoming a published playwright and songwriter.”