The work of combating modern slavery continues to grow locally and nationally through different partnerships the Diocese is involved with (both the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Strategic Partnership with police, statutory and non statutory organisations as well as the Nottingham Modern Slavery Forum for frontline workers and charities). The Diocese is also working with the University and Nottingham Citizens to plan and coordinate events to raise awareness.
The Diocese has been actively involved elsewhere, holding Faith and Freedom workshops in conjunction with the Salvation Army and University. At the workshops they have hosted people from different faith communities and social justice projects like food banks and night shelters. Together they have explored the reality of modern slavery and asked whether they could have come into contact with it.
Through the Slavery-Free City initiative, they also hope to engage businesses and local people and encourage them to ask what they could do to end slavery in their city. The diocese intentionally works with Hot Food Provider networks, Soup Runs, Homeless Shelters, Food Banks via training and information packs on want to do and who to contact when they suspect or someone discloses being trafficked. The Clewer Initiative’s Credit Card sized leaflets have proved invaluable and welcomed by all. The Diocese continues to raise the profile of issues of modern slavery in churches on Freedom Sunday in October each year.