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

Pilot launched for local decision making for trafficked children

The government has announced the launch of a scheme piloting local decision making on children’s status as victims of trafficking. ECPAT UK welcomes the launch of the pilot, which has incorporated a number of our key recommendations.
Hopeful Futures winners announced!

We're delighted to share the entries to our #HopefulFutures competition and announce our winner, Layla Carruthers, who has won an Instax camera! The competition was launched following a very challenging year for all of us, particularly for young people affected by trafficking. But with an improving picture, hope is on the horizon. While we're all excited to get much of our old lives back, we don’t have to return to how things were. We can call for all young people to have stable futures.
Double your donation at no cost to you!

ECPAT UK is taking part in Big Give Week, meaning that for this week only, your donation will be DOUBLED for free! When you give during Big Give Week, your gift will be matched by our generous funders. This means that if you donate £10, we will receive £20. Donate between 8th - 15th June and your gift will be doubled at no extra cost to you!
United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols Thereto (including the Palermo Protocol)

The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols Thereto is the main international legal instrument in the fight against transnational organised crime, including human 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.
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.
Child trafficking statistics

The latest data on the number of victims of trafficking in the UK and worldwide.
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.
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.
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.
Still in Harm's Way: An update report on trafficked and unaccompanied children going missing from care in the UK

Following our ground-breaking 2016 research, leading charities ECPAT UK and Missing People have revisited the issue of trafficked and unaccompanied children going missing from care using 2017. Still in Harm's Way: An update report on trafficked and unaccompanied children going missing from care in the UK finds that these children are still going missing at an alarmingly high rate.
Contact us

If you have an immediate concern about a child's welfare, please contact your local council's social care department, who are available 24 hours a day. For all other enquiries related to our work, contact [email protected] or call 020 7607 2136.

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