Be the light in someone else's darkness

As we leave Christmas and all the indulgence and festivities behind us and move into a new year making plans for our future. We can sleep well at night knowing we are free and have a future we can look forward to with a sense of secure anticipation and optimism.

However, millions of people across the world do not have that freedom nor luxury. They are trapped in some form of bondage. Held captive physically or physiologically, unable to celebrate the new hope that a new year brings. They are caught up in the deceitful, dangerous, often life threatening criminal web of exploitation.

It is impossible to know the full scale of modern slavery. What we do know is that it affects many millions of people worldwide.” Justice and Care.

Facts and figures:

• An estimated 45.3 million people are in modern slavery, including 24.9 million in forced labour and 15.4 million in forced marriage.
• It means there are 5.4 victims of modern slavery for every 1,000 people in the world.
• 1 in 4 victims of modern slavery are children.
• Out of the 24.9 million people trapped in forced labour, 16 million people are exploited in the private sector such as domestic work, construction or agriculture; 4.8 million persons in forced sexual exploitation, and 4 million persons in forced labour imposed by state authorities.
• Women and girls are disproportionately affected by forced labour, accounting for 99% of victims in the commercial sex industry, and 58% in other sectors

When we talk about the world with a subject like this, it can seem detached from our own personal lives. Sadly that is not the case. As Martin Luther King Jr wrote “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

Modern slavery is a global pandemic and we each need to be aware of how it affects us, what we can do to protect ourselves and others and how we can stop this heinous criminal activity spreading.

Closer to home

Across the UK, it is happening in every town and every city, hidden in plain sight and unless you, your loved ones, those you work with, or spend time with in any capacity know what Modern slavery is exactly, how your everyday life could be keeping someone trapped in some form of slavery, know how to spot the signs, what to do and where to report your suspicions and concerns then you remain part of the problem.

Let’s remember that at the heart of this subject are human lives, depending on the willingness of others to become aware and informed about their plight to increase their chances of being rescued and justice being served.

How you can help

Everyone can help victims by becoming more informed about modern slavery, learning how to protect each others and how little changes can make a huge difference and potentially save a life then please book onto to one of our FREE Modern Slavery awareness sessions held regularly online via zoom details below and hear first hand how each of us can do our part and how we can take some simple actions to help bring an end to the exploitation of human life.

What others say
‘This session was an eye opener, engaging and delivered with care and sensitivity. It really made me think about things I hadn’t considered before and look at things in a different way. I highly recommend booking onto a session I have told all my family and work colleagues about it’

To book your free place on a Modern Slavery awareness session go to https://tctogether.org.uk/even... and scroll down to our regular events where you will find dates and a link to book.