On 23 June I was invited by the University Centre at Blackburn College (UCBC) to speak at their first international conference ‘Child Sex Trafficking - Raising Awareness’. Other guest speakers included representatives from Child Welfare South Africa (our ECPAT partner in South Africa); Ice and Fire theatre company; lecturers and students from the UCBC and Stacey Dooley, BBC3 TV presenter.
   
TV Presenter Stacey Dooley (centre) and a representative of Blackburn College (right) present a donation cheque to ECPAT UK.

The aim of the conference was to look at child sex trafficking from international, national and local perspectives; to promote learning and discussion amongst representatives of different agencies concerned with safeguarding children from sexual exploitation and trafficking in the UK and overseas.The Social Science degree taught at the university includes a module which explores child trafficking and  the sexual exploitation of children within tourism.  ECPAT UK materials have for many years supported the learning needs of both staff and students at the university. The guest speakers all gave extremely interesting presentations to an audience of 95 people from a wide range of organizations. Information was also shared via stalls which sat alongside an exhibition of students graduating from the School of Art and Design – a fascinating collection of work.

The event was supported by Lancashire local radio, who interviewed several guest speakers, including myself and Stacey Dooley. Before the question and answer session at the end of the afternoon ECPAT UK were presented with a cheque by Liz Smith, a representative from  the students, who in their pyjamas, grabbed their teddy bears and asked for donations from students, lecturers, support staff, technicians and even visited a local construction site!

Innovative events such as this conference provide an excellent forum to raise awareness of the issues of child trafficking and exploitation.  I gave an overview of those children who are found after being trafficked in to the UK, shared the legal definitions, and signposted participants to the London Safeguarding Children Board trafficked children toolkit. Blackburn students have lecturers who take this issue seriously; they have demonstrated their commitment to challenge this appalling crime against children. Graduates will take their learning forward into their personal lives  and chosen careers with a clear message that child trafficking is child abuse and demands a multi-agency safeguarding response which promotes child safety and welfare. 

Karen Sizeland, ECPAT UK Training Manager