ECPAT UK welcomes new Chair and three new trustees

Friday, 28^th May 2021

ECPAT UK is delighted to announce the appointment of four new trustees, including new Chair of the Board, Liz Barratt. Liz is joined by new trustees Deveena Sahota, Renata de Groot and Geoff Corre.

The new trustees bring a diverse breadth of leadership skills and experience to ECPAT UK, from a broad range of fields including legal, social work, safeguarding, fundraising and direct practice.

Liz Barratt, ECPAT UK’s new Chair of the Board, is the Joint Head of Immigration at Bindmans and has acted in many cases involving children who are unaccompanied and trafficked as well as for looked after children. Prior to qualifying as a solicitor, Liz worked in the voluntary sector as a housing adviser and as a refuge worker for Women’s Aid. Liz is also a former trustee and Chair of the Trustee Board for the charity Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID).

Liz has acted in several high profile cases involving unaccompanied and trafficked children, and her work on the application of the Dublin Regulation led to a change in the law and Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year 2012.

Liz said:

“I am delighted to have been appointed as Chair of the ECPAT UK Board of Trustees and I look forward very much to working with everyone. It is an honour and a privilege to be entrusted with leadership of such a well-respected and authentic organisation committed to making a real difference to the lives of young people through a joined up approach to changing law, policy and practice that puts them front and centre.”

Deveena Sahota is a Young Women’s Practitioner at the organisation Abianda and has been advocating for young people at risk of exploitation for 10 years in various roles across the charity sector. Deveena has supported organisations in the development of their approaches to participation, equalities work and thinking intersectionally.

Renata de Groot is Head of Enabling and Delivery at Oxfam and has over ten years’ experience in the charity sector, with particular expertise in international development and fundraising. Renata has a strong commitment to supporting organisations to develop feminist, anti-racist and safe practice.

Geoff Corre is a social worker, trainer and consultant in countering trafficking and modern slavery with extensive safeguarding experience. Geoff was a trustee and Chair of the Board of Trustees for the National Working Group on Child Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking. He is a member of Locate International’s advisory board and a trustee with the Peace Hospice in Watford.

The new trustees join our existing board members of Annabel Mullin and Nicky Guy with Ian Hanham and Keith Richards standing down at the next Board meeting in July.

Patricia Durr, Chief Executive Officer of ECPAT UK, said

“We are thrilled to welcome our new chair and three new trustees to ECPAT UK. They each bring a wealth of experience and commitment to the rights and protection of children and young people.

“We were delighted with the response to our open recruitment process and to be growing our team with a real focus on the diverse skills and experience we need to better reflect and amplify the voices of trafficked young people.

“This is such a positive step for ECPAT UK and I am looking forward to working together with all of our trustees to develop our strategy and drive positive change for child victims and survivors in these very challenging times. Our work is needed more than ever and young people deserve the very best of us as we strive to make things better with and for them.”

“Since ECPAT UK became a registered charity in 2004, the dedication and commitment of our trustees has been the backbone of the organisation. On behalf of the ECPAT UK family, I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our outgoing Chair, Ian Hanham, for almost a decade of public service to ECPAT UK and dedicated leadership and support, as well as to outgoing trustee Keith Richards for his 11 years of service to the charity.”

ENDS

Contact

Sinead Geoghegan, Communications and Media Manager, ECPAT UK [email protected] 07402 113 985

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Friday, 28th May 2021

Friday, 28^th May 2021