Who we are
Ella’s is a London-based organisation working with women who have survived trafficking and sexual exploitation.
We are passionate about providing the best care for as many survivors as we can.
Our vision is to see people free from slavery and exploitation.
Our mission is to ensure survivors of trafficking and exploitation have all they need to recover and build lives that are safe and free.
To achieve this, we offer:
safe house accommodation for women when they are most vulnerable
care to help them recover and move forward
long-term community-based support to help survivors build safe,
independent lives.
Our work currently benefits around 65 women and 50 children a year.
We are effective
Our work is professional and high-quality, and makes a powerful and lasting difference in the lives of survivors.
We always care
We value and respect the people we work with, and treat every person as an individual. Community and friendship are at the heart of what we do.
We are strong
We walk with women on their journey of recovery, no matter how hard. We are passionate and speak out loudly for kindness, equality and justice.
‘Ella’s supports women affected by trafficking and exploitation to heal and rediscover their freedom in a compassionate and safe environment. The tailored, long-term support that Ella’s provides underlies a determination to support every woman as an individual. I have seen first-hand how much Ella’s means to the women they support and I am grateful to them for the vital work they do.’
- Dame Sara Thornton,
Former Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (2019-2022)
Meeting an urgent need
The support we provide is not just a ‘nice-to-have’ for women who have survived trafficking and exploitation. It is essential to their safety and freedom. Without it, many would fall back into danger.
For survivors, we plug huge gaps in the UK support system, providing accommodation, care and advice when they need it most.
Unlocking Freedom
An uplifting short film about what we do at Ella's and why.
“Every single step forward I do, you guys [Ella’s] are by my side. Thanks for transforming life, bringing colour to it.”
How it began
Our organisation is named after a real woman, Ella. She had been exploited since childhood, and then trafficked from her home country to Thailand and later to London, trapped in the sex trade for years. Ella was sick and felt unsafe, and desperately wanted to start a new life. She attempted to get out, but was too scared to share her story with the UK authorities. For this reason, Ella wasn’t entitled to any support. She felt unable to break free, and fell back into exploitation.
Our organisation exists to address dangerous gaps in the system and provide survivors of trafficking and exploitation with a real chance to recover and stay free.
Ella’s was launched in 2014 by Emily Chalke. We were part of Kahaila for the first few years, where we were supported to begin our work. We opened our first safe house in 2016 and became an independent charity in 2020.
Keep in touch
We’d love to stay in touch. If you’d like to receive occasional emails from Ella’s, with stories, news and opportunities to support and get involved with our work, please sign up here.