Next week from 18 October is World Anti-Slavery Week, and warm-hearted businesses from around the city have rallied to support Sheffield- headquartered slavery survivor support charity, City Hearts set up a Restoration Hub to help some of the city’s most vulnerable people.
Backed by Sheffield Chamber and philanthropic partnership Sheffield Business Together, the business community are creating what City Hearts’ head of development, Phill Clayton called ‘a food bank for care packages’ which will be given to trafficked men, women and children as they enter safe houses.
Kyle France, the charity’s accommodation manager for South Yorkshire, said: “Almost all our clients arrive with either very few belongings or just the clothes they stand up in. For many survivors, the first step in getting anywhere near back to normality is to have personal items such as clothing, bedding and toiletries that allow them to feel a sense of normal life starting again.
"Most, if not all of our clients will not have slept in fresh bedding for a long time and nothing new to wear. Having supplies in our safe houses for all of our clients as they arrive would have an instant impact on their mental health and go a long way to helping them feel safe and valued entering our services. I am sure that these care packs will have an immeasurable impact on improving the quality of life of all survivors of modern slavery that come into City Hearts.”
Care pack contents can be dropped off at donation points around the city:
- Meadowhall
- Sheffield Chamber at Cubo
- Voluntary Action Sheffield at The Circle
- Waitrose on Ecclesall Road.
Darren Pearce, centre director at Meadowhall, said: “Supporting our community is so important to us and we are always looking for ways we can go above and beyond to help those most in need. This initiative raises awareness of an incredibly important issue, and we are proud to be working with our visitors and retail partners to support City Hearts, Sheffield Business Together and the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce.”
The city’s schools and colleges are getting involved too. Berni Edge, a teacher at Longley Sixth Form College who are supporting the appeal, said: “When I read Agnes’s story it really moved me - how desperate she felt and how City Hearts had offered her a safe and comfortable haven.
"I discussed it with my colleagues here at Longley Park and we all felt that as a sixth form we should be supporting this worthy cause. We agreed to become involved and donate as many items as possible.”
Businesses who have been among the first to collect donations and pledge support include
- Andy Hanselman Consulting
- ARM
- HLM Architects
- Sheffield BT
- Sheffield City Council
- unLTD business magazine.
CEO of City Hearts, Ed Newton, said: “We are so grateful to the people of Sheffield and its businesses for their generosity and speedy response to our vital appeal. At City Hearts we are committed to supporting slavery survivors in every step of their recovery journey - that’s 900 people at this moment. Each donation helps create an essential care package and sends a message to our survivors that they are valued and not forgotten.”
You can donate in a number of ways:
- At a donation point on your business premises - contact City Hearts and the charity will come and pick up your donations. Contact Jed Barr, the Restoration Hub coordinator, (pictured above) on 0771 567 7838
- Drop off donations at Sheffield Chamber at Cubo on Carver Street or Voluntary Action Sheffield reception at the Circle
- Purchase and donate items at Waitrose, Ecclesall Road Sheffield who are supporting the campaign
- Purchase items from the online wish list, here www.cityhearts.global/restoration-hub. These items will be delivered direct to City Hearts.
