To mark Anti-Slavery Day Hidden Voices Bridgwater (HVB) held a walk through the town to raise awareness of the plight of those who are trapped in slavery today. In 1785 Bridgwater was the first town in England to petition the government of the day to end the slave trade.The walk on October 14 was led by the HVB group, who all wore black t-shirts, to draw attention to the fact that people are still being used as slaves in our society today.
Sian Owen, from HVB said, “Over 200 years later slavery is still prevalent in our society. The slavery of today is very different to the slavery of years gone by. It is hidden in plain sight in our communities.
"Please don’t think it isn’t happening in your town. It is happening in every town, city and in rural communities. It is the most vulnerable of our society that are at risk of exploitation. Everyone has a part to play in stamping out modern slavery.”
Anti-Slavery Day, marked annually on the 18 October, stands as a beacon of hope and a call to action. To encourage a collective effort to ignite change, spread awareness, and empower individuals and organisations to join the battle against human trafficking, exploitation, and slavery in all its forms.
Mike Haslam, Acting Mission Development Team Leader in Bath and Wells, said, “Modern slavery is a tragic fact. It is happening everywhere. Raising awareness will in turn help us to end modern slavery, so that everybody can know ‘life in all its fullness’.”
Find out more about how your church and community can help raise awareness of modern slavery with support and resources from the Church of England's Clewer Initiative.