"The University is home to the Rights Lab, the world’s largest group of modern slavery researchers, and through the work of the Rights Lab, I began to hear more and more about modern slavery. I was shocked to discover that modern slavery occurs everywhere and of the presence of county lines exploitation in big cities. At the same time, I started to hear the stories of modern slavery victims at the church-run homeless shelter where I volunteered. This awareness and growing concern led me to enrol on a Masters degree at the Rights Lab. My dissertation was on ‘Child Trafficking in the UK and the support available for children’ and I explored how the right level of support can stop child victims from being re-trafficked.
“Time again, through my studies, I saw how a lack of community allows modern slavery to thrive. So often, we do not know our neighbours and are unaware what is happening on our streets and how vulnerable children are being drawn into criminal gangs. As a Christian and through studying theology and seeing the way in which Jesus served the most marginalised in society, I have always felt strongly about the role of the church in responding to injustice and building local communities.
“I saw a job advertised with The Clewer Initiative and I was excited about combining my interest in modern slavery and passion for strengthening communities. Over the last couple of years, I have met countless individuals who are all committed to building community resilience and identifying and supporting victims. I am so glad I can be part of the UK’s modern slavery response and I am looking forward to starting volunteering at a victim support project in London soon.”
