Nicky Vaughan has been a member of the Mothers’ Union (MU) in Peterborough Diocese for the last eight years. She lives in West Haddon, a village near the borders of Warwickshire and Leicestershire in Northamptonshire and is currently the Mothers’ Union Trustee for Policy in the Diocese.
Over the last three years since becoming a trustee, Nicky has made a real effort to raise awareness of modern slavery amongst the Mothers’ Union members locally.
Nicky explains: “I have always taken a huge interest in women’s rights and the care of women and children. As a retired schoolteacher, getting involved with the Mothers’ Union seemed like a natural way for me to continue to support women’s issues and educational projects."
"I am passionate about social justice and so quickly became interested in the Mothers’ Union’s work on modern slavery.
“At our November Forum in 2019, I ran an awareness session. I tried to make it as interactive as possible to engage people and get them thinking about the issue. There were about 70 people present and I circulated some of the Clewer resources such as posters and small cards with the numbers to call if you suspect that Modern Day Slavery is happening as well as information about the Safe Car Wash App.
“I challenge people to put posters up in their churches, but also in their kitchens. It is great if a poster can spark a conversation with someone in the home. We all need to be aware of modern slavery and know the signs of exploitation to look out for in our communities.
“Since Covid has hit, I have moved on to Zoom giving talks to other Mothers’ Union groups and also joined up with the Northamptonshire Women’s Institute (WI) to give a talk about modern slavery to its members. Some people joined the Zoom from outside the county, with a view to passing on the information to their own WI groups. I am really happy about this...
"... I want awareness to spread and am eager to be a modern slavery advocate in the Mothers’ Union and beyond."
"I use a lot of resources from The Clewer Initiative and have found the Women in the Shadows films particularly compelling in recent months.”
The Peterborough Mothers’ Union has also created Clergy packs for every vicar in the Diocese, containing useful resources to support their ministry. This includes information about its policy initiatives and ensures all the clergy are familiar with the work of The Clewer Initiative and the helpline numbers to call if they have any concerns.
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