Freedom 300
You can help survivors stay safe. Please join us today.
Survivors need your support more than ever. Freedom 300 is our year-long campaign to find 300 new supporters to help the UK’s most vulnerable women recover from the trauma they’ve experienced, and stay safe and free.
“I am wishing and praying that other women are able to find a place like Ella’s.”
A growing need
The need for long-term, high quality care for survivors of trafficking and violence is vast and growing.
49.6 million people around the world are trapped in modern slavery.
6.3 million people are being exploited in the sex trade.
17,004 potential victims of modern slavery were referred into the UK Government’s system in 2023, with the number of female survivors at an all time high.
The National Policing Statement for 2024 says, ‘Violence against women and girls has reached epidemic levels in England and Wales’.
The women and families we work with were among the most vulnerable in the UK even before the cost of living crisis. Now, daily life is even harder.
We’ve managed to grow and reach more people in recent years, but there are so many more women and families in urgent need.
£30 could pay for a two-hour, tailored support session for a survivor.
£30 a month for a year could pay for 24 specialist, tailored, one to one support sessions for a survivor, helping them recover and stay safe.
Life changing support for women like Linda
Linda’s story of violence, cruelty and exploitation spans more than 20 years. It started in the country where she was born, when she was a young teacher.
Linda uncovered some vile corruption and abuse of young people and women that was affecting the school children she worked with as well as her close family. She joined a women’s action group to try and stop the abuse, but the corruption was widespread and the criminals they fought were powerful. A large number of people involved lost their lives. Linda was repeatedly attacked and tortured, and she and her family received death threats.
In an effort to protect her family and not be silenced by the gang, Linda went on the run. At times she thought she’d got away, but they found her. At one point, she was kidnapped, drugged and abused.
Betrayed
Eventually, she escaped and a charity helped Linda fly to the UK, where she went to the authorities to claim asylum. Things should have got better, but instead they got worse when Linda was betrayed by someone claiming to be helping her.
‘All of my documents were taken away from me and I was trapped. I was forced to be a servant in the house, and was abused in many ways,’ says Linda.
‘I don’t even really know how it happened, but in trying to stop other people from being trafficked and exploited, I myself became trafficked and exploited. Again I managed to escape, but I couldn’t trust anyone, so I became street homeless. It felt like the safest option. I felt hopeless, like this cycle would never end. I felt like ending my life.’
Linda came to Ella’s after being attacked sleeping rough.
“All of my documents were taken away from me and I was trapped. I was forced to be a servant in the house, and was abused in many ways. I felt hopeless, like this cycle would never end. I felt like ending my life.”
A safe place
‘When I arrived at the Ella’s house, it was so beautiful and so welcoming. When I walked into my room, I just burst into tears, I was thanking God for days and days after,’ says Linda.
‘My support worker at Ella’s is amazing, I’ve never known this kind of support before.’
‘I feel a lot of guilt, at being alive when others are not, and of being separated from my family. But I also feel a lot of gratitude that I have survived, when I could have died or been killed so many times. Ella’s are helping me work through these feelings and move forward with life.’
‘I am wishing and praying that other women are able to find a place like Ella’s.’
Urgent help
Without the right support, survivors like Linda are highly likely to fall back into danger. The trauma they have experienced is beyond what many people could imagine. The effects on women’s mental and often physical health are severe.
In addition, the women we work with face many barriers to recovery and stability, including: lack of education or skills for employment; immigration and asylum challenges; poverty; no safe family or social support; lack of confidence and life skills that many people take for granted.
The support we provide at Ella’s is tailored to the individual, meeting survivors’ biggest emotional and practical needs. It’s also empowering and long-term. Our goal is to see those we work with become able to live independently, leading fulfilled lives that are safe and free.
Photo: Tom Price/Ella’s
Challenging times
Times are tough for small charities like Ella’s as well as the people we support. The cost of living crisis has affected funding levels, while running costs and survivor needs have increased. We need your support more than ever.
Please give what you can
£30 could pay for a two-hour, tailored support session for a survivor.
£45 could pay for a birthday gift and party for one of our safe house residents.
£80 could pay for new towels, bedding, toiletries and flowers for a new safe house resident.
£300 could pay for a day-long survivor workshop or outing to develop employability skills, social confidence and other tools key to building a safe life.
£13 a month for a year could cover support work translation costs for a survivor who doesn’t yet speak English.
£30 a month for a year could pay for 24 specialist, tailored, one to one support sessions for a survivor, helping them recover and stay safe.
“Ella’s are helping me work through these feelings and move forward with life. I am wishing and praying that other women are able to find a place like Ella’s.”
Survivors need your support more than ever. Freedom 300 is our year-long campaign, launched September 2024, to find 300 new supporters to help the UK’s most vulnerable women. To support us as an individual, please donate today. To support us as a business of group, click ‘partnerships’ below. Thank you so much.