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.

Independent Child Trafficking Guardian, Sima Modhvadia named Children's Champion 2022

Sima Modhvadia, an Independent Child Trafficking Guardian (ICTG) with Barnardo’s National Counter Trafficking Service, has been awarded ECPAT UK’s Children’s Champion Award for 2022. The award is made in recognition of Sima’s outstanding work with young victims and her exceptional nurturing and empowering approach. Read more

ECPAT UK Children's Champion 2022: nominations open

We're delighted to announce that ECPAT UK's Children's Champion award 2022 is now open for nominations! Each year, ECPAT UK recognises someone who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to trafficked children. The winner will be selected in June by our panel of staff, trustees and young people affected by trafficking. Send in your nominations by 17th June! Read more

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

Judge rules that the Home Secretary acted irrationally in the case brought by Kent County Council on the operation of the National Transfer Scheme

High Court rules that the Home Secretary acted irrationally in its operation of the National Transfer Scheme in a further judgement about the accommodation of unaccompanied children in Home Office hotels.
ECPAT UK BIG GIVE CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE 2023

We are delighted to be taking part once again in the Big Give Christmas Challenge Week matched funding campaign. From 28th November to 5th December 2023 all donations are DOUBLED in support of our direct work with child victims of trafficking
Care For Every Child

Learn about our new #CareForEveryChild project offering support to children who have spent time in UK Home Office hotels outside of the care that they were entitled to and at risk.
King’s Speech announces new laws to tackle online child exploitation whilst reconfirming the UK government’s desire to remove the rights of child victims

The King’s Speech, which was held on 7th November 2023, announces new laws to tackle online child exploitation whilst reconfirming the UK government’s desire to remove the rights of child victims.

Child trafficking statistics

The latest data on the number of victims of trafficking in the UK and worldwide.
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.
What is child trafficking?
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.
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.
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.
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is an international human rights treaty that grants all children and young people (aged 17 and under) a comprehensive set of rights. The UK signed the Convention on 19 April 1990, ratified it on 16 December 1991 and it came into force on 15 January 1992.
About us

ECPAT UK is a leading children's rights organisation working to protect children from child trafficking and transnational child exploitation. We support children everywhere to uphold their rights and to live a life free from abuse and exploitation.
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
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).

Children's champions

Independent Child Trafficking Guardian, Sima Modhvadia named Children's Champion 2022

ECPAT UK Children's Champion 2022: nominations open

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