Race Night Fun For Charity Fundraisers

Apr 5, 2023 | News, News, Press Releases

A Race Night, organised by local charity Safe and Sound, romped home above target – raising more than £4,000 to enable the charity to support more children and young people across Derbyshire who are victims of or at risk of child exploitation.

More than 130 people attended the event at Nicco restaurant and bar in Pride Park including the Mayor of Derby Cllr Robin Wood and representatives from a wide range of local businesses.

Race sponsors included Loates HR Consultancy, Wathall’s, Timms solicitors, Cosy, HUUB, Colleague Box, Logic Barn and JJPR.

EVAD, Invictus Communications and Derby Daybreak Rotary Club each sponsored and specially designed cocktail for the evening and other sponsors included Melbourne Print who supplied the race programme, MiniAperture Photography who offered individual headshots during the evening and Derby LIVE who provided technical support.

Safe and Sound CEO Tracy Harrison, who was compere for the evening dressed as a jockey, said: “This is one of our major annual fundraising events and we are grateful for the support, once again, of the Derby business community.

“Thanks to sponsorship and the support of Nicco, we were able to plough the money raised on the night directly into the charity which will now be used directly on our support programmes for children, young people and families whose lives are affected by child exploitation.

“Demand for our support grows year on year and it is heartening that so many individuals and businesses recognise the value of work in local communities to protect and support those vulnerable to exploitation.”

Last year, Safe and Sound supported a record 343 children and young people aged eight and above who had been victims of or at risk of child exploitation including online grooming sexual exploitation, County Lines, trafficking, modern slavery and radicalisation. The charity also supported 40 families whose lives had been affected by exploitation.

Tackling The Blame Game On Child Exploitation Awareness Day

Mar 13, 2023 | News, News, Press Releases

Derbyshire’s specialist child exploitation charity, Safe and Sound, is marking a national day next week with a challenge to everyone to re-think how they talk about young victims.

National Child Exploitation Awareness Day falls on Saturday March 18 this year and Safe and Sound has decided to focus on the issue of victim blaming.

Last year, Safe and Sound supported a record 343 children and young people aged eight and above who had been victims of or at risk of child exploitation including online grooming sexual exploitation, County Lines, trafficking, modern slavery and radicalisation. The charity also supported 40 families whose lives had been affected by exploitation nearly 30% of the children and young people supported by the charity have learning disabilities.

Safe and Sound CEO, Tracy Harrison has highlighted the harm caused by blaming victims.

As well as potentially discouraging young people from disclosing what has happened to them and bringing perpetrators to justice; it can cause further long-term damage to young people’s self-confidence and self-esteem.

Mrs Harrison explained that victim blaming was any language or action that implied (whether intentionally or unintentionally) that a person was partially or wholly responsible for abuse that had happened to them.

For example, until recent years, young girls who were groomed, trafficked and raped were sometimes referred to as ‘child prostitutes’ which implies that they were complicit in their own sexual exploitation.

More recently, young boys and girls who are targeted by County Lines gangs to distribute drugs around communities, are commonly treated as drug dealers rather than the victims of criminal exploitation who are in fear for their safety and that of their families if they don’t do as they are told.

And young people who accept a stranger’s friend request online and who are then coerced into sending inappropriate images of themselves are often blamed for their naivety and not recognising the dangers of online grooming.

Mrs Harrison said: “Child Exploitation Awareness day is an important date in the calendar as it opens the conversation about what is happening across the UK – and beyond – including in our local communities in Derbyshire.

“As well as raising awareness of the growing dangers of online and in person child exploitation, we want to expand the conversation to challenge people’s perceptions of young people who are groomed by perpetrators for their own ends.

“Child exploitation perpetrators are highly manipulative, controlling and extremely skilled in getting young people to do what they want.

“Whilst it should be a given that these criminals – whether operating as individuals or in groups – are the guilty parties – all too often, the ‘blame’ for this abuse can be directed at the young victims themselves.

“So, saying something like ‘it was the way she is dressed’; ‘he was just a loner with no friends’; ‘she stayed out until all hours’ or ‘he was a streetwise lad’ is actually far more damaging than a misguided judgement.”

Mrs Harrison continued: “Young people who have been groomed and exploited are often scared that they will not be believed so are reluctant to disclose what they are going through and seek help.

“Victim blaming also normalises and reinforces what these young people have been told by their manipulative perpetrators that they are ‘worthless’ and ‘deserve what happens to them’ – making their recovery from trauma an even more complicated process.

“The Sexual Offences Act (2003) recognised children as victims of – and not participants in -exploitation. However, it takes a lot more than legislation to change culture and perception and we all have a part to play in this.

“Young people need our help but also our understanding.

“A lot of work is underway with professionals working with young people to address victim blaming but I ask everyone to think about what you say when you hear or read about such cases in the media and challenge what someone else says to you about this.”

For more information about this issue, please watch this short video https://vimeo.com/159372082 and for more information about child exploitation and how to support Safe and Sound’s work across Derbyshire, visit www.safeandsoundgroup.org.uk

Local Charity Committed to Transforming Young Lives

Feb 28, 2023 | News, News, Press Releases

Local Charity Committed to Transforming Young Lives

Derbyshire’s specialist child exploitation charity, Safe and Sound, is expanding its programme of inclusive youth activities and therapies as part of its commitment to supporting children and young people to move forward positively with their lives.

Last year, Safe and Sound supported a record 343 children and young people aged eight and above who had been victims of or at risk of child exploitation including online grooming sexual exploitation, County Lines, trafficking, modern slavery and radicalisation.

The charity also supported 40 families whose lives had been affected by exploitation and a further 77 families were supported through the pilot year of Family Group Conferencing which is a new service in the city to help families stay together with support from their wider family.

Figures released this week also reveal that nearly 30% of the children and young people supported by the charity have learning disabilities.

As well as specialist 121 and group support, young people directly targeted by perpetrators and a growing number of siblings whose family live has been affected by exploitation have taken part in a wide range of positive and therapeutic activities.

The growing programme of youth activities has included sport and creative activities as well as cultural and educational trips which, in school holidays, are run in conjunction with the  Government-funded HAF project to help families with the rising cost of living.

Furthermore, the charity has recently launched a fortnightly youth club; lunchtime sessions at several local schools and continues to engage with young people with evening outreach projects in Derby city and South Derbyshire every week.

Therapeutic services have also been expanded including person-centred creative art therapy to help them rediscover their confidence, re-establish their self worth and re-connect with those around them by formulating health relationships with other people.

Safe and Sound CEO Tracy Harrison explained: “Our workload increases year on year both with young people directly affected by exploitation as well as the wider family.

“Although our primary focus is to ensure young people are safe from exploitation and work with them to recognise and come to terms with their experiences, we have a growing emphasis on organising positive activities to build their self confidence and esteem to ensure they can move forward with their lives.

“It is equally as important to support the wider family who have been affected by exploitation – particularly with siblings to reduce their own vulnerabilities to grooming and exploitation.

“This work is particularly important for the young people and young adults with learning disabilities who are particularly vulnerable to exploitation.

“These young people or three or four times more likely to be targeted by perpetrators both online and in person for many reasons.  Young people with learning disabilities often find it difficult to make friends of their own age and spend more time online where grooming and exploitation is rife.

“We are therefore ensuring that the activities we organise are fully inclusive to give all children, young people and young adults the opportunity to participate and enjoy.

“Our team are doing an amazing job to organise our own activities and to link up with the other fantastic young people focused charities and organisations to share resources, facilities and opportunities.

“As the demand for our services continues to grow, we are committed to finding new and innovative ways to transform young lives so that they can move into adulthood as strong, confident people rather than being defined by what they have experienced in their youth.”

The importance of youth activities was highlighted by the mother of a 12-year-old boy from Derby.

She said: “My son has a EHCP and has hidden learning difficulties and complex needs. He has experienced bullying in his local community and been groomed online making the world he experienced very small and reduced to his bedroom.

“He really struggles with socialising and with relationships, especially with peers. He could not string two words together when in contact with new people, lacked confidence and simply couldn’t speak to young people his own age.

“He has been attending the Safe and Sound weekly table tennis club for six months and has really benefitted from this support.

“He has very slowly grown in confidence and maturity and this activity, in tandem with 1:1 support from a mentor also provided by Safe and Sound, has given him the focus he needs.

“This support and his development also helped him to attend his new college placement  with more confidence and he is slowly but surely going from strength to strength after the positive outcomes and experiences he has had with this group activity.”

For more information about the work of Safe and Sound and how to support them, please visit www.safeandsoundgroup.org.uk.