A new season of fundraising

The Clewer Sisters have funded The Clewer Initiative since its inception. This financial support is now coming to an end so we are seeking alternative sources of funding to ensure the long-term sustainability of the project.

The Clewer Initiative

The Clewer Initiative was established in 2016 as the national work of the Church of England to combat modern slavery.

For the last seven years, the Community of St John Baptist (CSJB) or Clewer Sisters, an Anglican religious order of Augustinian nuns, have funded The Clewer Initiative. This financial support is coming to an end so we are seeking alternative sources of funding to ensure the long-term sustainability of the project.

We receive amazing support from the Church of England at every level but, like most charities, we have to secure our own funding. Being independent means we can create an important and unique space in which church and non-church actors can meet as equal partners and collaborators.

A strategic opportunity

Because the Church of England is present in all communities and at the heart of many, it is in a unique position to take action against modern slavery. We believe the will and ability to end modern slavery exist in every church community and that communities can be mobilised with no or minimal financial cost to ourselves.

Through the Church of England’s cathedrals, dioceses and parish systems it can be extremely influential - perhaps the only institution in the UK with an ability to work through government and civil structures right down to the grassroots. We have sought to harness this strategic position by working closely with Cathedrals, Dioceses and local parishes, pioneering, resourcing and supporting projects and partnerships.

Our ultimate goal is to create a preventative safety network for people in danger of slipping into modern slavery and exploitation. The Government, statutory bodies or Police don’t have the resources to do this but this is something that the church can be mobilised to achieve.

Our approach

We will build this preventative safety network for people in danger of slipping into modern slavery and exploitation by:

Raising awareness of modern slavery through communication campaigns and new resources
Pioneering anti-slavery partnerships and supporting grassroots action in Dioceses and Cathedrals
Providing first-class training for frontline practitioners
Helping synergise and triage the care and restoration of victims.