Help our vital work continue

This is our story - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFmXRXjjePY&t=2s

The Clewer Initiative was established in 2016 as the national work of the Church of England to combat modern slavery. We exist to raise awareness and mobilise the Church and communities to take action against modern slavery, promote victim identification and provide victim care and support.

The Clewer Initiative is a leading player within the Modern Slavery arena and widely respected by law enforcement, local government, charities, and wider faith networks.

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.

The need

Modern slavery and exploitation is present in every single community in the UK. It can take many forms, including sexual exploitation, labour exploitation, domestic servitude and exploitation in criminal activity, such as county lines drug supply, shoplifting and cannabis cultivation.

Modern slavery and exploitation is growing all the time due to the increasing number of vulnerable people in our societies.

The Global Slavery Index estimates that there are more than 50 million victims of modern slavery worldwide and approximately 122,000 victims in the UK. Many of these people are never identified or find formal support.

We must keep raising awareness of modern slavery and equipping individuals and communities to spot the signs of slavery and report suspicions so that criminal gangs are disrupted and victims rescued.

There is also a huge need to mobilise churches and communities to care for the most vulnerable in society and help build resilient communities where criminal gangs cannot get a foothold. This preventative, “public health” approach to our work is essential.

Our goal

Our ultimate goal is to create a preventative safety network for people in danger of slipping into modern slavery and exploitation. We are doing this by:

1. Raising awareness of modern slavery through communication campaigns and new resources

2. Pioneering anti-slavery partnerships and supporting grassroots action

3. Providing first-class training for frontline practitioners

4. Helping to synergise and triage the care and restoration of victims.

Our work has only just begun - help us continue our fight against modern slavery!

To find out more about our financial situation, visit https://theclewerinitiative.org/who-we-are/fundraising

See the difference we've already made in communities around the UK - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7b_HqT5bIo

Watch a three minute introduction to the work of The Clewer Initiative https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFmXRXjjePY