Children's champions

Each year, ECPAT UK recognises an individual who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to trafficked children with our Children's Champion award.

Find out more about the achievements of our brilliant Children's Champions over the years.

Solihull lawyer Maria Demosthenous named Children's Champion 2020

Maria Demosthenous, a senior child care solicitor with Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, has been awarded ECPAT UK’s Children’s Champion Award for 2020. The award is made in recognition of Maria’s outstanding commitment to child victims of trafficking in her local authority over the last 13 years. Read more

Garden Court Chambers named Children's Champion 2019

ECPAT UK has today announced Garden Court Chambers as the recipient of the 2019 Children’s Champion Award. The award is made in recognition of Garden Court's tireless work advocating for the rights of trafficked children and developing the law to protect child victims for over a decade. Read more

Latest

Hopeful futures photography competition: win an Instax camera!

As part of our 'stable futures' campaign, we’re calling for original photos that capture your vision of a stable, happy and hopeful future. The brief is broad – we want you to reflect on the question ‘what does freedom mean to you?’ Your photos can depict anything that represents your dreams, future potential and life without limits. The winning photo will inspire feelings of warmth, togetherness, hope and fulfilment.
Have your say: impact of new immigration plan on trafficked children

The government’s New Plan for Immigration includes proposals which will impact all child victims of trafficking as well as all children and young people subject to immigration control. We're concerned about a range of measures proposed which, taken together, will affect all child victims of trafficking, including British national children. Have your say — respond to the government's public consultation using our guide.
Take part in 5k May!

This month we're taking part in #5kMay! If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that the smallest things can make the biggest impact. That’s why we’re calling on you to take part in a 5k during May and donate £5 to us! We're a small charity achieving big things, and every £1 raised makes a difference.
Government immigration reforms could set back progress in support for child victims of trafficking

The Home Office has published their ‘New Plan for Immigration’ which includes a significant number of proposals to reform modern slavery legislation which will affect survivors of child exploitation. Wider measures relating to asylum policy will also be detrimental to survivors who also apply for asylum, a procedure which is already very challenging for many child victims to navigate.

The Secret Gardeners: New film on child trafficking from Vietnam

The Secret Gardeners aims to inform professionals about the plight of children who are forced by organised crime gangs to grow drugs in houses across the UK but who often face criminalisation and prison.
The National Referral Mechanism

The National Referral Mechanism is a process set up by the Government to identify and support victims of trafficking in the UK. It was born out of the Government's obligation to identify victims under the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Human Trafficking, which came into force on 1 February 2008.
Demand specialist support for trafficked children

In 2018 we worked with Care2 to call on the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid MP, to overhaul the current system of identification and support for victims of trafficking – the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).
Urgent action needed: Independent guardianship for all trafficked, unaccompanied and separated children

Last October, an incredible 120,535 supporters called for specialist support for all trafficked children. However, the fight is not finished. Make sure your voice is heard by contacting the Home Secretary asking him to provide guardianship for all trafficked, separated and unaccompanied children
Volunteer

ECPAT UK relies on committed volunteers to support the work that we do. Without their help, we would not be able to campaign as effectively against child exploitation.
Before the Harm is Done: Examining the UK's response to the prevention of trafficking

The UK Government is failing to protect thousands of children from exploitation by lacking a plan to prevent child trafficking, according to a new report by the Anti-Trafficking Monitoring Group (ATMG), a coalition of twelve UK-based charities, including ECPAT UK. The report Before the Harm is Done, stresses that the UK has no specific strategy in relation to preventing trafficking in children, putting thousands of children at risk.
Child trafficking statistics

The latest data on the number of victims of trafficking in the UK and worldwide.
Heading back to harm: A study on trafficked and unaccompanied children going missing from care in the UK

Trafficked and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are going missing from UK care at an “alarmingly high” rate, according to a new study by leading charities ECPAT UK and Missing People.
Our team

ECPAT UK's team has more than 30 years' experience working on issues of child trafficking, child protection, child sexual exploitation, unaccompanied children, modern slavery and more.
ECPAT UK training

ECPAT UK offers a comprehensive training programme, in line with National Occupational Standards, delivering courses for more than 20 years to help improve responses to child trafficking, modern slavery and exploitation.

Children's champions

Solihull lawyer Maria Demosthenous named Children's Champion 2020

Garden Court Chambers named Children's Champion 2019

Lawyer Silvia Nicolaou Garcia named 2018 Children’s Champion

Scottish Guardianship Service named ECPAT UK’s 2016 Children’s Champion

Lord McColl of Dulwich is ECPAT UK’s 2015 Children’s Champion

ECPAT UK names leading solicitor Children's Champion 2014

Safeguarding head named ECPAT UK Children’s Champion 2013